Swords of the Shadow Empire
by Kageka
Summary: Itachi was Ninja, a tool that followed his master's orders. As a tool, his will was his master's. And as a tool, his only freedom was choosing his master. He had to have something, someone to follow or he had no purpose and a tool with no purpose was worth less than dirt. And right before him she stood. The only person insane and brilliant enough to make world peace come true.
1. Semblance of a Team

7-year-old Uchiha Itachi sat in the classroom. It was time for the genin team announcements and the only thing going through his mind was:

Please, kami-sama, let it not be a fangirl.

Outwardly, Itachi's expression showed no change despite the dread filling him. Deep down, he knew it was a futile hope. A moment of stupidity had resulted in this moment and now he was paying the price.

"Ah! Itachi-kun!" Itachi turned to see another horde of girls. He had hoped that advancing through the levels would result in more mature and serious kunoichi, but no. If anything, it was worse. The girls five years his senior found him 'cute' instead of 'cool' like his former 7-year-old peers.

"Do you need anything?" Unfortunately, he was unable to take Shisui's sagely advice of hurling a fireball at them. He was raised to be a gentleman (only towards non-enemies thus this didn't apply to fangirls) and while Shisui was a valued friend, his mother handled the dango supply.

"N-no, not really. I-I just hope we end up in the same genin team." Itachi blinked.

"Unfortunately, I don't think that is probable. By tradition, the top shinobi and kunoichi of the year are paired together."

And that was how, for the first time in four decades, there were more females in the top 10 than males. Unfortunately, the top 3 females were all rabidmanicfanatical extremely devoted fangirls of his. Itachi had never regretted saying anything so badly.

"Well then, without further ado, I will begin announcing the genin teams. Team 1-"

Itachi held his breath for a moment before realising that it was unbecoming of the heir of the noble clan of Uchiha to show visible signs of distress to such a relatively minor problem in the grand scheme of things and quickly released the withheld breath in a completely natural manner.

"Team 11: Uchiha Itachi, Nara Michiko and Uchiha Akio."

Relief flooded Inner Itachi even as Ninja Itachi's suspicions triggered. Itachi hadn't interacted with the Nara much, but from what he knew, she wasn't a fangirl. Most of his fangirls liked to wear short red and white dresses for the Uchiha fan or a navy blue or black. After a spar, they'd quickly wipe their sweat off, don their jewellery, reapply their makeup and spray an unbearable amount of perfume. Why 12-year-old girls felt the need to show off their nonexistent assets eluded Itachi, but he had long since accepted that the female gender would likely remain beyond his comprehension.

Nara Michiko just looked… like your average girl Nara. Long spiky black hair piled messily into a bun with senbon, black eyes that stared into space and a perpetually bored look on her face. Her clothing held typical ninja pragmatism. A simple white shirt with a sleeveless beige jacket, presumably loaded with weapons. Beige trousers bandaged at the bottom and grey mid-thigh slit skirt. Both fell a little awkwardly, so Itachi assumed those had weapons as well. Four equipment pouches were attached to her legs and she had a backpack and a front pouch. Strangely, she did not carry a visible forehead protector. Overall, Itachi thought the amount of weapons was a bit of an overkill, but better over equipped than under equipped.

Itachi didn't really know what to make of her, but she seemed better than his deliriouszealoushysterical fangirls. Anything was. However, her grades were nowhere near the top. They floated around the average mark, impressive for a Nara, but never near the top 10. There had to be a reason she was put through the advanced stream and made genin at 10-years-old despite her average grades. Maybe she was hiding some special skills. Obviously, more research was required.

Uchiha Akio wasn't particularly skilled to make up for it. He was fairly good, but average for an Uchiha, if that. He was 12 while the expected graduation age for Uchiha was 10. Itachi hadn't paid any attention to him before, but he seemed average on the outside. Akio had curly black hair that was even messier than Shisui's. There was a permanent scowl etched onto his face and he had a broody stay-away atmosphere around him. He wore the high-collared navy blue shirts favoured by the clan with the Uchiha fan on the back. His knee-length pants were dirt-coloured and he held two equipment pouches strapped to his thighs. He wore bandages around his arms and was glaring at Itachi, something that surprised him. Generally, branch Uchiha sucked up to him and tried to gain his favour.

It would seem as if both his teammates were completely average and normal. Itachi didn't particularly care as long as they were professional. His main worry had been the girl, but luckily, she seemed like a proper kunoichi. Unfortunately, his relief wasn't shared by his teammate. A small burst of yin chakra came from the corner of the room.

"Sensei? Would you mind repeating that?" Nara Michiko spoke up. A quick glance around the room revealed heated glares directed at her by his 'fanclub'.

"Team 11: Uchiha Itachi, Nara Michiko and Uchiha Akio. Is there something wrong, Michiko-chan?" The Nara blinked.

"Of course not, sensei. Forgive me for the interruption. Please continue." But there was clearly something wrong as she continued to stare at him, her ink brush furiously swiping across her scroll. Maybe her distress was because she was stuck with two Uchiha? Nara weren't prejudiced in general, but his clan's name wasn't as upstanding as it used to be. Ninja Itachi screamed at him to do research immediately while Inner Itachi thanked kami he'd finally found a female who seemed to dislike him. Outwardly, Itachi was stoic as ever.

His mind was a very confusing place. With the help of Shisui, Itachi had finally gathered just enough self-awareness to realise that.

"-do not cause any trouble! Your jounin sensei will arrive soon. You may have your lunch break now." Most of his peers filed out of the room, glad to leave the academy behind. However…

"Itachi-kun! Do you want to have lunch together?" Itachi turned to face his most nuttyobsessiveaggressive enthusiastic fangirl.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I believe it is best we eat with our respective teams." Shisui had advised him to eat lunch with his teammates to build up team rapport. The fact that he did not wish to get mauled by have lunch with his fangirls had no bearing on his decision whatsoever.

She gave a strained smile. "But Itachi-kun, you'll be with Michiko-chan and Akio-kun for a while. This may be our last chance." At the corner of his eye, Itachi spotted two assailants fangirls coming in from his right flank. How on earth could he get out of thi-

"Sorry, sweetie, but I'm borrowing Uchiha-san for a while." Nara Michiko was a godsend and he would be burning the best incense at the Uchiha shrine. Right then and there, there was nothing that could persuade Itachi otherwise.

The Nara received a sugarcoated glare from his fangirl. "Who are you to decide? Surely Itachi-kun-"

At that point, his teammate scooped him up by his waist and swiftly jumped out of the window. While the Uchiha in him didn't appreciate being manhandled, Ninja Itachi approved of the quick and efficient method and Inner Itachi was far too relieved to care. She took to the rooftops with a speed that rivalled his own, quickly losing the fangirls. She landed on a secluded rooftop, not too far from the academy so they could return quickly, but deserted enough so the chances of being found were little.

Ninja Itachi's approval was climbing up. Inner Itachi started constructing her shrine.

"You're fast."

She shrugged. "I'm more for speed than power. I can do a couple of chakra tricks, but my physical strength is dismal." That was fairly common for females. Itachi couldn't help but feel a trickle of disappointment. He wasn't quite sure, but he had expected something… different from his saviour teammate.

"Well, I-" She held up her hand.

"Save it. Akio-san is coming. I invited him." When did she-

"Why? It increases the risk of being found."

"You said, and I quote verbatim: 'I believe it is best we eat with our respective teams'. While I understand that that was merely an excuse, the idea behind it isn't bad. I assume it wasn't something that originated from you?" Astute.

"I see."

* * *

Michiko's brain switched up to full drive the moment the genin teams were announced. She scrambled to find all the possible things that could go wrong with this situation and there were just too many. Why on earth-

Michiko shut herself off as Uchiha Akio landed on the roof. Now was not the time.

"Were you followed?" Michiko asked.

"Of course not. Why did you call me?"

"Just an introductory session."

"I don't see what's the point. We're going to be stuck with each other for the next few years anyway. I'm going to lunch." Akio turned to go.

"Don't be silly. The test has already started." This caught both the Uchiha's attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Konoha law states that a ninja doesn't have to take on a student designated by the system as long as they are able to come up with an acceptable reason in the interest of protecting clan secrets and maintaining the quality of Konoha ninja. The law also states that the teacher's recommendations for the student's future placements will carry heavy bearing. It was something decided during the Shodaime's regime in the context of an apprenticeship but is applicable to genin teams today. In other words, if our teacher finds us lacking, they could send us back to the academy."

Not wanting to be caught unaware, Michiko had sat down and read through every single law in Konoha, archaic or not. One thing she didn't like about this world was how backdated it was. The system still functioned mostly on social status rather than merit. But at least in the ninja world, practicality took over in dire situations.

"What? But-but that's just a possibility! That probably won't happen."

"Then how do you explain our class size?"

"Our class size?" Akio questioned.

"Every year, only a dozen or so make genin. Our class graduation size is 39. In my first year, I passed by the announcement boards and noticed it the number was 45. It struck me as curious, so I asked one of the sensei what the numbers were for previous years. They were 42, 45, 48, 42, 48, 39 and 39. Notice something about those numbers?"

"They are all multiples of three?" said Akio, unimpressed.

"It's a cutoff point." said Itachi. She smiled at him.

"Correct. Unlike previous exams, the graduation exam doesn't have a passing mark. In order to even teams and handle the supply of available jounin, a cutoff point is necessary. In the same order, the number of teams that passed were 5, 5, 6, 5, 7, 4 and 5. Nearly exactly one third every time. It is likely mandatory for teachers to test us, if not, then it's a widely upheld tradition. The genin are passed or failed on the spot. So how do they get the number down to a third exactly?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"83% of the time, failed teams were given 'no name' jounin. The majority were civilian born and they dropped out quickly. Of those that passed, 78% had jounin of notable fame. Most of the genin were from ninja clans. Only 20% of first generation ninja graduate during the first try. Almost all of those became jounin. In other words, the results of the graduation selection are decided by the teachers and Hokage. They are almost completely predetermined by our connections, clan and political standing. Talent and skill only play a small part. If we don't perform spectacularly well or horribly, whether we pass or fail is out of our hands." From the records, Michiko suspected that many subpar ninja had become genin simply because the jounin hadn't wanted to anger clans. Similarly, many talented civilian-born ninja had been failed because the jounin did a Kakashi and figured they had better things to do.

There was a short silence. Akio looked shocked. Itachi had a small frown on his face, but didn't seem surprised.

"But if that's the case, aren't we in the clear? Itachi is the heir to the Uchiha and we're all from prominent clans."

"Maybe, maybe not. I asked one of the chuunin sensei. Our teacher's name is Arakida Seishiro. Ring a bell?" The teacher had given her the information easily, thinking she wouldn't find much use of it. Underestimation was a useful tool.

"No… wait, so they gave us a no name jounin? How could they?" exclaimed Akio. Michiko had been curious as well. Why had the heir to the Uchiha received someone who barely made the bingo book? She had read every edition of the Bingo Book. Arakida Seishiro had first appeared five years back as a tokubetsu jounin and was only registered as jounin last year. Nothing stood out about his profile. She would have to find out what was so special about Arakida Seishiro.

"It doesn't matter. What Nara-san is saying is that we have to perform exceptionally well to pass."

Akio huffed. "Whatever. I wasn't planning on doing less than exceptional anyway. I still don't see why we have to work together."

"The academy reports show individual results for everything tested. One of them is teamwork, yet there wasn't a test involving that. There's a good chance it'll come up. Better safe than sorry." While the stats and facts were real, the reasoning was all fancy bullshit to convince the two midgets to listen to her. She probably wouldn't have thought of any of this if it wasn't for her prior knowledge.

Akio plopped himself down. "Fine. So what do we do now, little miss genius?"

"What are your skills?" That question was merely a courtesy, of course. She would be a failure of a Nara if she didn't already know what they knew.

"I can do all the academy jutsu well in addition to half my clan's genin katon jutsu and shuriken jutsu. I know five genjutsu and I can do both the Leaf style and Uchiha style."

"And Itachi-san?"

"Similar to Akio-san's. I also know the shunshin and kage bunshin. I know a variety of katon jutsu, five of which are C-rank and one B-rank. My shuriken jutsu level is little better than a Uchiha chuunin, but I've cleared all of my clan's C-rank and D-rank genjutsu. I am adequate in the Leaf and Uchiha style."

Akio frowned at Itachi. "Hmph. As expected of the clan genius. How about you, Nara?"

"I'm afraid my repertoire is nowhere near as impressive. My taijutsu is abysmal. I can't take a hit, I can't deal a blow. I rely heavily on dodging. My projectile throwing skills are fairly good, though likely not up to the level of the Uchiha. In physical combat, my asset is speed and I'm a long-range support fighter. My ninjutsu is skewed. I can't do the Yang Release-"

Akio jolted in shock. Even Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"You can't do the Yang Release? What the hell?" exclaimed Akio.

"- and I can barely perform the basic academy three. I know few genjutsu."

"Never mind the advanced stream, how the hell did you even graduate?"

Itachi cleared his throat. "No offence intended, but I have to admit that those circumstances are unusual, Nara-san."

"My proficiency in the use of the Nara's shadow jutsu has been noted by my clan."

"Oh, so you're here on clan favour?" snapped Akio. Michiko smiled back at Akio. She had been paranoid enough to do a little research on everyone within ten years of her year group. She was currently trying to get that to fifteen, but the point was, she knew his basic backstory.

"Unfortunately. Forgive me if I seem unenthused. This wasn't my ideal career path."

"Didn't you say you gained favour to be here?"

"No, not really. I was born on the fringes of the Nara line to a killed-in-action career chuunin and an unskilled, jobless civilian mother. Aina and I would've been thrown out onto the streets. I offered my services to the clan in exchange for financial security." Immediately, the boys' demeanours softened. They will eventually have to harden their hearts against sob stories, but for now, even the Great Uchiha Itachi was nought but a green 7-year-old genin with a bleeding-heart. In particular, she hoped to smooth things out with Akio. She didn't want a whiny teammate.

"You're a fringe member too?" asked Akio.

"Yes. I won't have been taught the clan's shadow jutsu if I hadn't won the Nara shogi tournament."

"They have a shogi tournament?"

"I've heard of it." Itachi spoke up. "It's to pick out bride candidates, right?"

"Yes. It's always more intense after the war. In the one I won, there were twice as many candidates. I won the one after that as well and I plan to win this year's." Winning her teammate's respect was important and Uchiha in general valued brains over brawn. Well, Itachi probably did, but Akio seemed to still be in the 'cool and flashy' jutsu stage. "Anyway, this leads on nicely to the next item on agenda. What do you hope to accomplish in life?"

"I will become clan head." Predictably, that was Itachi.

Michiko frowned. "And then what? What are you going to do as clan head?"

"I haven't given it much thought. But my basic goal would be to improve the clan's standing and keep clan peace."

"And that's going to make you happy?"

Itachi blinked. "I would imagine so."

Michiko stared at Itachi for a few moments before sighing. The Itachi she knew and could see beginning to grow would never be satisfied with such a narrow Itachi should have already realised what he wanted.

It would seem as if Uchiha Itachi was a compulsive liar. Someone with his skill was naturally good at self-deception.

"Whatever you say, little liar."

Akio snorted. "Well, my goal is to be one of the best Uchiha jounin in Konoha." Since most ended up in the police force, being an Uchiha jounin was reserved for only the elite.

"That's… interesting." commented Michiko.

"What? You don't think I can do it?" snapped Akio defensively.

Michiko shook her head. "No, not at all. With the right direction and effort, I believe that your goal is within your reach. But why 'one of the best'? Why the uncertainty? If you're going to dream big, I'm of the opinion that you should go aim for no less than ' the best'."

Akio looked taken aback. Good. She wanted to put both of them on the edge. They likely saw her as a weak know-it-all who got by on luck and clan influence. After going through the academy, boys at that age had a dismissive opinion towards girls. Michiko wanted to break that barrier as quick as possible and distance herself from that view.

"Well…" Akio glanced at Itachi. "O-of course I'm going to be the best! I'd accept no less!"

"Good. My goal is nowhere as fancy as either of yours. I'm going to be a coffin maker."

Akio looked dumbfounded. Itachi had an interested gleam in his eyes.

"A coffin maker? I thought you had to be a ninja for your family?" asked Akio.

"If Nara-san wishes to be a ninja coffin maker, then I believe that becoming a ninja is a wise choice. Coffin making involves a lot of sealing work."

"Correct. Civilian coffins are easy enough. Ninja coffins are a whole different story. The sealing work must be top notch to prevent grave robbing. Preservation seals, defence barriers, chakra locks, imprisonment seals, detection barriers and suicide seals are common fare in coffin making. The best coffins even have dimension wrapping seals on them. It takes the average person three decades to be any good at both the woodwork and sealing, so most just hire external seal masters to do the work. Naturally, I plan to be the best at both." Having a lifetime of civilian coffin making behind her was useful as well, of course. She just needed to get the sealing work down, figure out ninja coffin trends and she'd be good to go.

"Three decades?! Why would you chose a job like that!"

"I am interested in calligraphy and woodworking. But the time frame is only for the average person. With the Nara clan's backing and some… past experiences, I believe I can produce decent coffins by myself with ten years of practice."

"Ten yea- anyway, are you any good at sealing?"

"I have some level of proficiency. I focus more on defensive seals needed in coffin making."

"So it's useless in combat."

"Not at all, Akio-san. Throw as many kunai as you can at me." She asked Akio so he could not find fault with that portion. She also won't have been able to handle Itachi throwing a dozen kunai at her. Her chakra control couldn't handle twelve different seals at once.

Akio threw four kunai at her. Michiko formed the rat seal. Shadows emerged and attached themselves to the kunai. The shadows morphed into basic exploding seals and the four kunai exploded. The shards scattered and would've hit her teammates if she hadn't simultaneously cast a defensive barrier to contain the damage. The shards clattered harmlessly on the ground.

Akio's eyes widened at the little display. Itachi had a small smile on his face.

"What is that jutsu, Nara-san? Is it a Nara clan jutsu? I've never seen anything like that before." Itachi asked. A little bit of his childlike excitement and ninja fascination slipped into his tone.

"It's an original of mine but any Nara with sufficient control and sealing knowledge is capable of it. It's fairly simple and easy to imitate, but most aren't bothered. Maybe a D or C rank at most."

"That's useful, I guess. But it'd take too long to implement. The enemy would've gotten you." said Akio.

"That's why I said I was a support fighter. If I go out there alone, I die. It's good for quick things like the detection barrier I put up here. Your potential students have done their introductions. Wouldn't you tell us a bit about yourself, Arakida-san?" That was complete nonsense. Maybe she could've tricked a green chuunin, but there was no way she could've hidden a large area detection barrier from a jounin. Nevertheless, Arakida Seishiro stepped out from behind a roof.

"An impressive deduction, Michiko-chan." So she hadn't been able to fool him. Good. "But you're not getting away from the test."

"I would expect no less." Michiko scanned Seishiro. He was fairly nondescript in appearance. Choppy brown hair, tanned skin, a couple of small battle scars on his hands and face, standard jounin outfit, a katana strapped to his side and dark brown eyes. He was around 180 cm and was of average build. His fire-inclined chakra levels leaned to the large side, but the concentration and texture of it revealed no traces of special jutsu or kekkei genkai.

He was completely forgettable. Too forgettable for the jounin-sensei-to-be of Uchiha Itachi. It was only then that everything clicked and Michiko hated feeling so slow on the uptake. She instantly drew yin chakra into her Shadow Mind.

"I'm Arakida Seishiro, a jounin of Konoha. My taijutsu and genjutsu are standard and my speciality is katon jutsu and kenjutsu. My goal is to protect the peace of Konoha. Is that acceptable, Michiko-chan?" Seishiro's tone was good-natured. His overall demeanour was friendly, clearly trying to put the edgy possible-genin at ease.

"Thank you for the information, Arakida-san." replied Michiko. That was basically what was in his Bingo Book entry. The fact that he had given her no new information gave her information. Didn't that mean he had given her information? Hmm...

"You're going to be our jounin sensei?" Akio asked, clearly unimpressed by the bland introduction.

Seishiro shrugged. "Maybe. It depends on whether you pass the test. We will meet tomorrow at 3 in training ground 44. Any questions?" Wait, 44? Wasn't that the Forest of Death?

Itachi raised his hand. "This isn't the academy. Just ask your question."

"3 in the morning or evening?"

Seishiro grinned cheerfully, the grin coming off as somewhat fixed and practised. "Good catch! In the morning of course!"

Akio gaped. "3am?! Why?"

"We have to be prepared to fight regardless of the time of day." replied Itachi.

Seishiro smiled at Itachi. "Well reasoned, Itachi-kun."

"But it isn't correct is it?" Seishiro raised an eyebrow at Michiko. "I may be an academy student, but you're going to have to try harder than that."

Seishiro laughed falsely. "You've got me. It's also a tradition for jounin sensei to torture their minions." Michiko felt a twinge and influx of information from her Shadow Mind. Liar.

"We aren't your minions!" yelled Akio. He yipped in surprise as Seishiro suddenly appeared behind him and ruffled his curly black hair. "What the hell was that for?"

"Don't worry. If you become a jounin, you will have your own minions to torture."

"You don't think I can make it?" Akio snarled. Seishiro's smile did not lose its cheer.

"Hmm… Let's just say I'm not as confident as Michiko-chan. As it stands you haven't even passed my simple little test." Michiko called bullshit. If his test was 'simple', then she was a delusional idiot which… may not be all that improbable considering her plans.

"Hmph. I'll kick your ass!"

Seishiro hummed airly. "We'll see. Any more questions?"

"I have one. Can I ask you after Uchiha-san and Uchi-" Michiko frowned. "Can I just call the two of you Itachi-san and Akio-san? It'll avoid confusion."

"Fine."

"I don't mind, Nara-san."

"And call me Michiko, Itachi-san. I'm not used to being called Nara."

"If that's what you want, Michiko-san."

"Then can I ask my question after Itachi-san and Akio-san leave?"

"That's fine."

Itachi stood up and brushed the dirt of his pants. "Then we shall meet tomorrow, Michiko-san, Arakida-san."

"Why don't you want us around?"

"Nothing much, Akio-san. Just confirming a theory."

"Hmph." With that both the Uchiha exited the field. Sort of.

* * *

Arakida Seishiro had been looking forward to this. He had just proposed to his girlfriend and had been planning to take it easy for the next few years. He would first be a jounin sensei to get used to kids and teaching. Then he would take up an administrative job or be an academy teacher once his first child was born. He wanted to be a good father and husband. He didn't want to die on a mission or be an absent father, leaving his soon-to-be wife and kids to fend for themselves. After all he'd been through, he thought he'd deserved a little time to relax and settle down.

Apparently, the Hokage thought differently and handed him this clusterfuck of a team.

Seishiro had expected to get a couple of future chuunin and a maybe-tokujo. Instead, he got the genius Uchiha heir, the newest natural Shadow Mind user and an angsty fringe Uchiha. Nothing spelt destruction, drama and death like those three.

The Uchiha heir seemed easy enough to teach, but he was a delicate situation. Uchiha Itachi was hailed as the greatest thing since the founding of Konoha by the Uchiha. If anything happened to him that the Uchiha disapproved of, he and his family would make powerful enemies. Luckily, he lacked the typical Uchiha superiority complex and seemed like a good kid. He would grow up to be a legendary ninja, so it might be useful to create ties with him while he was young. Him being on the team made failing them impossible with his social status and skills. Seishiro really hated clan politics and Uchiha arrogance.

Everyone had a second 'brain' in their chakra system, but only Nara have ever been able to access it fully. It was colloquially dubbed the 'Shadow Mind' and increased mental capabilities greatly. The ability to access it wasn't unusual, but natural users came every generation or two and were more powerful than the trained ones. Michiko had no training and came from the fringes of fringes of the Nara bloodline. Given her home situation and social status, she would likely be married off to a rich Nara ninja family to gain status. Other than her strange Yin-Yang chakra balance, Seishiro needn't worry about her. He would just train her for survival as her type usually retired at chuunin to get married and have babies.

Akio would prove problematic. He felt self-entitled because of his clan and had the Uchiha arrogance and abrasiveness. He also had an inflated ego that was frequently wounded, resulting in both an inferiority and superiority complex. He showed no respect towards authority and Seishiro would have a hard time getting him to obey. Overall, nothing unusual for a kid of a noble and traditional clan. He just needed a wake-up slap in the face and an attitude adjustment. Seishiro would whip him into shape and beat him into obedience if needs be. In a worst case scenario, Seishiro would just care him off to the genin reserves. A ninja needed discipline and if Akio was incapable of maintaining basic ninja temperament, he was unworthy of his forehead protector.

"So, what's your question?"

Michiko stared at Seishiro. Seishiro stared at Michiko. Michiko sighed.

"Akio-san. I know you're there."

Akio didn't move from the bushes. Michiko formed a seal of confrontation and Michiko's shadow stretched into the bushes. From her file, it would seem as if Michiko's only skills were her clan's shadow jutsu and fuuinjutsu. Nevertheless, her control over the shadow jutsu was bushes exploded, revealing Akio. Akio glared and crossed his arms. It was probably supposed to be intimidating, but it came across as a childish pout.

"So what?"

"Why are you eavesdropping on a private conversation?"

"Why are you going behind my back?" Michiko sighed and stood up. She walked towards Akio then turned her back towards him. Swiftly rolling her right wrist, she slid her ink brush out. It was one of those convenient brushes that already had ink stored in them, but she wrote on the air. Figuring out what was being written by observing brush movements was a basic espionage skill and Seishiro had it down to pat.

You are too perfect, too average, too unusual. Are you ANBU?

It was then and there that Seishiro decided Nara Michiko was going to be more troublesome than both Uchiha combined.

* * *

It was ten in the evening when Nara Shikaku received an expected visitor. Despite not having an appointment, it was well known that Shikaku favoured the girl and Michiko's visits to the Nara main house were common.

"Shikaku-sama."

"Michiko. What do you plan to do?" Their interactions were always like this. Straight to the point without tedious clan politics and niceties. Most would consider it wildly inappropriate, but as persons who prioritised efficiency over all, it was how the two preferred it.

Michiko quirked an eyebrow. "Surely you've already guessed?"

"Detecting your lies is easier than predicting your moves." Despite all the factual details available and his own lengthy observations, the intricacies of Michiko's mind still eluded Shikaku. While her core principles were easy to spot, her line of thought and skewed sense of morality were otherworldly in their peculiarity.

"I'll start by beating sense into the Uchiha boys. You really gave me a handful."

"The Sandaime won't have been against your team combination."

"Please. The lauded Uchiha genius, a reluctant ANBU and an angsty Uchiha kiddie? Their similarities are thus: they're testosterone-filled, chauvinistic pigs with exactly zero social skills. Chucking the weak little Nara girl in would make no sense unless a certain jounin commander comes into the equation."

"Is that all?" 

"There's something going on with the Uchiha clan. It makes no sense to give me two Uchiha to work with when the Inuzuka heiress is graduating as well."

"Just suspicions. But if my suspicions are right, the consequences would be messy. The Sandaime is too idealistic and tired and Danzou is too power hungry and prejudiced. The rest of the council is too traditional and experienced to listen to reason."

"The Uchiha heir will be easy enough to convert, though I suspect it'll take a few… drastic measures. The other Uchiha will take longer, but a gradual transition will work best with him."

"The ANBU?"

"I couldn't get a proper read on him, but I suspect he's not very child-friendly. To get to him, I'll need to cobble up a somewhat functioning ninja team."

"I'm sure you'll do fine."

Michiko sighed. "It's way too troublesome. I'm a busy woman, you know."

"You'll busy yourself with one thing or another. Even if I didn't hand you the Uchiha, you'd eventually find out and stick your nose into their business anyway. I just made things a little easier."

Michiko shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Whether this investment will be a profit or loss remains to be seen, but the fallout will be huge regardless."

"Be careful. Your fingers are stuck in dangerous pies. It'd be a shame to see you die young."

Shikaku easily read the amusement dancing across her eyes. For reasons that eluded him, Michiko was always amused when someone mentioned her age and inexperience, but that was a mystery for another day.

"Oh, don't worry. It's impossible for me to die young. Besides, death is nothing major. I find living infinitely harder than dying and there are innumerable things worse than death." It was confidence founded in absolute knowledge. Shikaku didn't know how Michiko could be certain she wouldn't die young. He didn't know many things about her, at least nothing essential to her puzzle, and he was still deciding whether he liked that or not.

"Many would disagree, but that's beside the point. Why did you come here?"

"Arakida-san thought it prudent to toss us into the Forest of Death. I'm gathering supplies." 

Shikaku sighed. "Very well. There'll be a standard interest rate."

Michiko passed Shikaku the scroll. "I need this by 2am tomorrow."

Shikaku scanned the scroll. "I'll get someone to bring the goods to you by midnight. You've prepared more than usual."

Michiko shrugged. "What do you think the Forest of Death + Tests + Uchiha Drama™ equals to?"

"Generally, anything with you involved is troublesome."

"A justified opinion. But it's only going to get more troublesome."

"Why do you go through the trouble?" The pair stared at each other. It wasn't the first time Shikaku had asked for her motives.

There was a reason why clans were labelled with certain characteristics. One's personality was heavily influenced by chakra and clans that bred selectively for certain chakra traits tended to share strong personality traits. Being a master of observation, it had taken Shikaku only five minutes to notice her thought process didn't line up with the expected one in Nara. Still, five minutes was an impressive time for the then eight-year-old Michiko. Most of the council had eventually noticed, but they put it down to her diluted bloodline and her mother's foreign blood.

Shikaku wasn't so easily swayed by Michiko's illusion.

Nara Michiko did a good job of appearing like your average Nara. Her skills in the art of deception could make her an ANBU infiltrator. But Shikaku hadn't lived this long being careless and his gut told him there was more to Michiko than she revealed. Michiko's mystery wasn't one huge scandal. No, her mind was smothered with dirty little secrets that were a pain to uncover and even more painful to know. She wasn't hiding something as simple as a forbidden jutsu or a dark past. What had tipped Shikaku off was the way she walked, the way she talked and the way she smiled.

No matter how he looked at it, Michiko was a Nara. Yet everything about her screamed a sense of wrongness. The intense visceral feeling shocked Shikaku himself and he couldn't explain it, couldn't place what was wrong about her.

But Shikaku knew. He knew she didn't belong here.


	2. The Mad Kunoichi

Uchiha Akio rubbed his eyes sleepily as he trudged to the Forest of Death. 3am was way too early for anyone to be up. How could the bastard and the girl look so awake?

"Good morning, Akio-san." greeted Itachi.

"Hn." Akio hated Itachi's guts. He always walked around with that cool I-am-better-than-you-you-filthy-peasant attitude and the stupid girls just fell all over him and stroked his ego. He knew nothing of suffering, being a spoilt main house brat. Even now, he was trying to be nice to fool him. Did he think Akio was stupid? He wasn't about to fall into such an obvious trap.

"This seems like it'll be fun." commented Michiko. Akio scoffed. Of course, a silly girl like her would think this was 'fun'. But considering 90% of the academy girls were Itachi's fans, Akio supposed he could deal with silliness. Still, her constantly uninterested expression drove him up the wall.

"Hmph. It's not 'fun'. This is a serious test that would decide our future."

Michiko shrugged. "None of us can afford to fail if we are to achieve our goal. But as long as we don't die, I don't see why we can't have a little fun. The opportunity to go into the Forest of Death is not widely available to genin, after all."

"The Forest of Death?"

"It's the colloquial name for training ground 44." said Itachi. Akio scowled. Both of them knew this due to clan connections. "It got its name from the numerous chuunin exams held there."

"Correct. Where did you obtain this information?"

"My father told me. He told me I could search more information up in the Uchiha library, but I didn't have the time."

"I see. How good is the Uchiha library?"

"It's inaccessible to non-Uchiha."

"Shame."

"Trying to take advantage of Itachi's connections?" challenged Akio. Sure, she was also a fringe member, but instead of fighting honourably and proving her strength, she kissed up to the stupid clan elders. The sly and manipulative route was only taken by the cowardly. Akio guessed she was just making up for her weakness, but he hated kunoichi like her.

"Of course I am. Ninja relationships are all about give and take. I'd be silly not to do so."

Akio gaped at her shamelessness. Meanwhile, Itachi nodded his head in approval.

"I'll see what I can get you if you'll do the same for me." Michiko smiled.

"Unfortunately, that would hardly be a fair trade. I have near complete access to the Nara library. But on my quest to read every book available there, I created a chakra control exercise. Depending on what variation you use, it will require mid-chuunin to high-jounin level chakra control. I'll teach you it in return for a dozen books of my choice. Naturally, the books wouldn't damage your clan specifically and it would be within your access. All books would be returned in the condition they were given in within the maximum standard borrowing time for said book. I will teach you a different variation with each book or two returned."

"Deal." They shook on it and Akio was left there gawking.

"What! But… did you just sell out your clan?"

Itachi blinked at him. "Of course not. This can't be the first time such a situation has occurred. The Nara and Uchiha clan's relations are cordial and as per the agreement, no harm shall befall the Uchiha. There is no reason for me to refuse this deal."

Akio huffed. "Well, whatever. Don't say I didn't warn y-aaah!" Akio yelled as Seishiro appeared in the middle of the group. Itachi instantly tensed up while Michiko looked bored as ever.

"Good morning, my maybe-minions! Are you ready? Good! You're going to survive in the Forest of Death for… oh I don't know. Maybe a week or so? Anyway, good luck and don't die! Bye bye~!"

In a blink of an eye, Akio suddenly found himself falling in the Forest of Death alongside Itachi and Michiko. Seishiro had vanished after _literally tossing them over the wall_.

 _What the hell? Is he crazy? I didn't even see him move!_

Akio crashed through a few branches before he managed to land properly when suddenly, the branch he was on moved.

Looking down, he saw the ground shake and rise from the earth. A monster's head peeked out and Akio realised that Seishiro had tossed them onto a gigantic turtle(ish) creature that had trees growing on its back for camouflage.

Well, shit.

"Akio! Get off!" Akio jumped off the sort-of-turtle onto another tree when the giant turtle gave a mighty roar and the tree he was currently on shook as well. Looking around, he saw that Itachi and Michiko were on the same boat. There were at least 40 turtle monsters. To make it worse, he spotted a couple of eggs and babies being surrounded by a protective formation.

It was a fucking nest. Perfect.

"What the fuck are these things?!" Akio jumped off the back of the thing and drew his kunai. This cued Michiko to recite the encyclopaedia entry of the not-turtles.

"Warapi. They are presocial animals that live in bales of 30-70. In general, the ratio of males:females is 1:5. They-"

"I don't care! How the hell do you defeat them!"

"Behead them or aim between the eyes. The shell is too hard for shuriken. All other vital points are covered by the shell. Katon jutsu is most effective. Their teamwork is subpar. They are fast for their size, but can't turn well. Their main form of attack is charging." In that instant, Akio was glad Michiko was such a nerd. He didn't care if she was a kiss-up as long as they got out alive.

Akio threw a kunai at the warapi. It batted it aside and charged at him _fast_. He dodged, but the sharp jagged edges of its shell sliced him. Before he could catch his breath, five others appeared. He jumped up, causing them to collide with each other. He tossed six kunai between the eyes of the turtles. Two warapi died instantly. Three were wounded, while the other was completely fine. Akio landed on the back of one before shooting a katon jutsu. The other three and a newcomer caught fire as the tree on their backs burned. Panicking, they flailed around and caused another three to catch fire.

A quick glance of the area showed that Itachi had already set two dozen of them on fire. One of the nests was on fire and the warapi were in complete chaos. Michiko was providing support by erecting defence barriers and… blowing up the warapi rather viciously. Her shadows snaked under their shells, presumably forming exploding tags and blowing them up from the inside. Guts and innards flew all over the place before being sucked up by her defence barriers. That was… good and all, but the excited, unhinged grin splattered across her face with fire, explosions and shadows highlighting it had him freezing up in fear.

Michiko's eyes snapped towards him and Akio jolted. He stabbed the warapi he was on between the eyes before jumping off.

"Run that way! It's the safest route!" Akio glanced at Michiko and followed her directions hesitantly. She was the best chance of getting him out alive as it was.

They ran a fair distance before stopping briefly.

"Akio-san. The warapi managed to wound you, didn't they?"

Akio scowled. "It's just a scratch. No big deal."

Michiko met his eyes calmly and firmly. "You are bleeding. I know of at least 5 species sensitive to the smell of blood in the area we're heading to and all are above Class C. Take your shirt off."

Akio flinched at Michiko's look, remembering the mad kunoichi in the forest and instantly moved to remove his shirt. The wound wasn't serious but bled a little and Michiko used some iryoninjutsu to patch it up before binding it in bandages.

"You know iryoninjutsu?" asked Itachi.

"Just basic first aid. I don't plan on being a medic so my skill level is fairly low, but I didn't want to go to the hospital every time my fuuinjutsu experiments go wrong thus I decided the minor investment of time would eventually pay out."

Akio blinked. "But doesn't it take like two months to get the green chakra?"

"It's easier for me because my chakra is nearly 100% yin. It took me a month to get first aid down."

Itachi frowned. "100% yin? I know Nara generally have higher yin concentration, but I've never heard of someone with 100%. Is that why you can't do the Yang Release?"

"Yes. The average Nara has a 70:30 Yin-Yang ratio and through selective breeding, the main house sometimes goes up to 85:15. They make sure it never gets higher than that or the child would have difficulty with taijutsu and Yang Release or Yang-heavy elements like Earth and Wind. I'm just an abnormality."

"Whatever. Where are we heading?" Akio interrupted, uninterested in her problems. He didn't see why she wanted to be a ninja. Lots of other guys were better at fighting, so she should just leave it to them. It's not like she needed to fight and her fighting skills probably weren't that useful. But having someone to patch him up? That was useful. If she was good at iryoninjutsu, then she should just be a medic like all the other kunoichi instead of messing around with fuuinjutsu for 10 years. Why struggle so much? She didn't make much sense to him.

"To the best part of the forest. The warapi are low Class C creatures. Judging by the flora and fauna I've spotted, Arakida-san dropped us off at Section E, a low Class B area. That's where groups of chuunin aspiring to be tokujou commonly train."

"Tokujou? The bastard dropped us off at a place meant for tokujou?!"

Itachi frowned. "Arakida-san seems to be a little extreme, but this is too excessive."

"Don't worry. He's watching us. He'll stop us before we die, but as long as it's reattachable, he won't stop the animals from tearing our limbs apart."

"What kind of _genin test_ is this? Fresh genin are barely Class D!"

"A cute one." Both Akio and Itachi stared at Michiko as if she'd said she was from an alternate dimension.

"Cute? What about this fucked up situation is cute?"

"Shush. I can sense some mashabi."

"Michiko-san, what is a mashabi?" asked Itachi.

"They are kind of swamp-versions of the warapi. Except they are ten times faster, much harder to spot and extremely poisonous. They don't have hard shells and live in smaller bales of 10-30, but touching their wet skin will get you poisoned. They are resistant to ninjutsu and katon jutsu effects are halved."

Akio gulped. "We can avoid them, right?"

"Yes, don't worry. They emit pretty large chakra signatures and can be taken down by projectiles. I also have their anti-venom on me."

Itachi _smiled_. Mister-I-am-the-perfect-emotionless-robot-ninja _smiled_. It was a small barely-qualifying one, but still. "How well prepared are you?"

"Mildly. I've read everything in the Nara library about the Forest of Death while in the academy. I have plans on how to take down most of the creatures here. The Nara clan is famous for medicine, so I procured every one I could. How well prepared are you?"

"Mildly." replied Itachi.

"Whatever you say, little liar."

"Mildly well prepared? Isn't that extremely paranoid behaviour?" exclaimed Akio.

"When you're randomly dropped into this bizarre world, it's just standard operating procedure. Now, hush."

After fifteen minutes of running, the forest changed slightly. The leaves were less green, the ground was softer and a pungent smell hung in the air. Michiko finally stopped on a sturdy tree branch and formed the seal of confrontation, using her sensing abilities to scan the surroundings.

"This should be fine."

"This is the easiest part of the forest?" asked Itachi. Michiko smiled.

"No. It's just the best part."

Akio's eyes widened in horror. "What? You-you didn't take us to the hardest part of the forest or something, did you?"

"Of course not. I'm not suicidal. But this part of the forest has the best meat and resources within our skill level. You didn't think we'd be able to survive on just warapi meat, did you?"

Akio breathed a sigh of relief. "Goo- wait, warapi meat?"

"I managed to salvage two that Itachi killed. Warapi meat has high nutritional value and can be sold for a pretty sum. They are also very tasty and I brought my travel cooking kit so we should be in for a treat. But their shells are the most valuable part of their body due to its medicinal and combat purposes. That's why I killed them from the inside with weak explosives that won't damage the shell."

"So you weren't just killing them for sport? Cause you looked kinda... scary." Akio asked hesitantly.

"What? No! I was just thinking of how good the warapi would taste like. Did you think I go into random bloodthirsty rampages?"

"..."

"... of course not, Michiko-san." Itachi eventually replied. Michiko sighed.

"Whatever you say, little liar. Anyway, the only truly life-threatening ones are the pandami, ringiro and botedon.

"Pandami are white and fluffy little carnivores with long tails. They emit tiny chakra signals, so I probably won't be able to sense them. Their teeth and claws are poisonous and sharper than kunai. They're also faster than half the chuunin and can jump to up to 1.5m. They tend to gang up in numbers of 50-200 against a large opponent and bite them to death. I don't have their specific antivenom, so if you're bitten, you're down. But if you encounter them, please don't roast them alive if you can help it. Their poison is very valuable.

"Ringiro is a type of snake and it blends in very well for its colour scheme. I might be able to detect them, but don't count on it. I have their anti-venom, so you only need to worry about getting strangled. Get to me within 5 minutes or the anti-venom won't work.

"Botedon are silver lumbering rhino/gorilla-ish creatures that live alone or in small groups of up to a dozen. When fully grown, they are 3.5 to 5m tall and the ground shakes when they walk, so you'll be able to avoid them easily. But between facing 1000 pandami and one botedon, choose the pandami. Their horns are valuable, but you probably couldn't damage it if you tried."

Akio gaped. Itachi blinked.

"Michiko-san, what is the difficulty level of this area?"

"High Class C. It's only slightly harder than Section A, the easiest part here. Though not as common, you can find pandami there as well. The most dangerous thing there are just the mashabi."

"Is that bastard trying to kill us?"

"As much as I hate to admit, I believe this to be a little unconventional." stated Itachi.

"You really have a talent for understatement, Itachi-san. Regardless, he seems like a dedicated teacher to me."

"Huh?"

"Ninja aren't exactly known for being environmentally friendly and this forest is host to many rare species. Do you know how hard it is to get authorization to enter the Forest of Death? Let alone bring three inexperienced genin in as well. Arakida-san would have to give up one week of his time stalking three kids he doesn't know. I'd rather have someone like him than a legendary S-class ninja who doesn't care about us."

Akio was speechless. Itachi seemed to be considering what she said.

"I see. My father didn't recognise the name 'Arakida Seishiro', but when I mentioned that we were going to the Forest of Death, he seemed quite pleased."

Akio scowled doubtfully. "Couldn't he just be a sadist?"

Michiko shrugged. "Maybe. Still a lot of effort, though. Anyway, let's go. I'll show you the delicious ones."

6 hours later, the three genin were panting hard and had many, many, many scrolls worth of plants and animals.

"Why did we have to get so much? We'll never be able to finish all that!"

Michiko smiled. "Because money."

"But you didn't want to hunt those freaky rainbow snakes even though they are valuable and we encountered like fifty!"

"Forest of Death regulations. If we hunt too much ringiro, Arakida-san will be forced to confiscate them. Now, let's go to Section A before we run out of chakra."

Having spent the first three hours arguing with her commands and regretting it, Akio was too tired to complain and just rolled with it.

They arrived quickly at Section A and made camp. It was barely 9 in the morning, yet the genin were completely drained. Michiko in particular, whose skill set relied heavily on chakra, was running dry despite her conservation efforts.

"I can cast defensive and detective barriers that would keep most animals out, but it's not foolproof and I'll be out of chakra. I have soldier pills with me, but I'd rather not use those. After setting traps and securing the perimeter, let's take a break."

No one complained at the idea of a break. After setting traps as quickly as they could and Michiko cooked the warapi meat and some fruit and vegetables they had gathered.

She took out a bottle of seasoning and rubbed it over the meat with her unwashed, sweaty hands. Akio grimaced as she took a bloody kunai, the same one she used to behead at least two dozen highly venomous snakes, and sliced that warapi meat thinly. She then wiped the blood onto her already bloodied grey apron skirt. Akio was pretty sure the kunai was more dirty after getting wiped because she had used that skirt to wipe her poisoned senbon and shuriken countless times over the past three hours and much of the blood (and other questionable substances) was already crusty.

She lit a fire and carefully controlled the flame as she cooked the meat and chopped up the vegetables with the same kunai she used to slice the meat. The meat looked barely cooked before she took it out and cooked the vegetables briefly, adding some condiments to it. She took out some clean-looking plates and cutlery from a storage scroll and plated the meat and vegetables, some of the vegetables were served raw and none of them looked appetising.

"Erm… Is this thing… safe?" Akio asked tentatively. Over the past few hours, Michiko had proved that while she wasn't very strong, she could be very, very scary when serious.

Michiko looked at him like he was an idiot. "Of course it is."

Akio glanced at Itachi and he could feel Itachi steel his nerves before taking a leap of faith as he picked up a slice of meat with his chopsticks and ate it. Akio watched with trepidation as Itachi slowly chewed his food. Itachi blinked in surprise and stared down at his plate with a considering look.

"So how is it?" Akio asked anxiously.

Itachi gave him a blank look. "I think it is safe."

Warily, Akio picked up a slice. Just in case this was a conspiracy to kill him, he took a teeny bite. Shocked, he immediately shoved the thing into his mouth.

"This is fucking delicious! How do you get it like that!" exclaimed Akio. Itachi nodded enthusiastically in agreement (as in he nodded at speeds around 2 cm/s faster than usual), but still ate appropriately with perfect table manners. Fucking princess.

"Warapi meat is naturally flavourful so I seasoned lightly. I sliced thinly so I could cook it just enough and have some sauce for the vegetables. Look under the plate." Akio lifted the plate to see a seal attached under. "It's a seal commonly used in restaurants to prevent food contamination. This is the Akimichi variant, basically the best there is."

Akio breathed a sigh of relief. If the Akimichi decided it was good enough for their food, then Akio had no complaints. "Why didn't you tell us that sooner?"

He received no answer, but he was undeterred by that and resumed his meal with gusto, quickly finishing the fairly large meal in fifteen minutes. A quick glance revealed that Itachi and Michiko, despite eating much slower than him and receiving the exact same portion, had finished before him.

"How about we take a nap? It would be the best way to recover our chakra. Despite my barriers and traps, some pandami might slip by. Judging by how much chakra we have left, Akio should take the first shift followed by Itachi then me. We switch every two hours then we have lunch."

Akio frowned but since they all accepted it as an ideal plan, no one protested. After two hours Akio rotated with Itachi then Michiko. They ate lunch and Akio took watch again.

Akio's shift was so boring he nearly fell asleep. Just as he was about to wake Itachi up, he spotted a glint in the bushes and quickly threw a shuriken. Walking over to the bushes, he saw that he had hit a small little white… furry… creature…

Well, shit.

Instead of waking Itachi, Akio woke Michiko up.

"What is it?"

"Erm… I think I killed a pandami."

Michiko was instantly alert and took the furry creature by the tail. She grimaced and sealed it up before waking Itachi.

"Akio killed a pandami. This one is a baby, so it probably wandered from its pack's territory. Pandami have a very tight knit community. We don't have much time before the whole pack descends on us. We have three viable options: hunt them down for element of surprise, increase our defenses for home ground advantage or run."

"Which has the highest chance of success?"

"Pandami are fast and expert trackers. Outrunning them in our state is impossible. We would waste valuable time tracking them down. Since they'll be tracking us as well, we can't guarantee a surprise advantage. Increasing our defence is probably best." Michiko formed the seal of confrontation and touched the ground.

"Judging from how the surrounding animals are acting, the pandami you killed probably came from the south. The radius of the detection barrier is 100 meters in all directions. The defensive barrier has an 80 meter radius. In the 20 meter gap between the two barriers, the two of you would set the area on fire. Though the pandami's senses are very keen, their chakra detecting skills are negligible. I'll be in the middle of the barrier guarding for sneak attacks, coordinating attacks and activating traps. I'll sprinkle chakra draining seals around as well. They're not very good, but pandami have very little chakra so it's a viable tactic."

Itachi nodded in agreement.

"So we basically just set traps and burn them alive?" Akio clarified.

"Basically. But be careful. We don't want to destroy the forest too badly. Do not fight them face on if you can help it. All it takes is one nick and you're down. We'll communicate over these radios." Michiko handed them radios.

"Let's start the real test."

* * *

Wasting no more time, team 11 immediately got to work. Michiko had the most prep work. She laid basic trigger explosives a few meters inside of the detection barrier. She found a few good spots where the boys could hide in. Using some weapon oil, she drew a line which Akio would set on fire. She set many chakra draining seals around as well. They were too difficult for her current level as even the most basic chakra draining components required Class B skill. Nevertheless, her shoddy version was enough to kill a pandami. She buried the paper lightly under the earth in the middle of the trigger explosives after the line of fire. It would absorb the pandami's chakra and when it was full, release the chakra. This would power up the explosives. Most of the traps were focused on the south, but some were placed in the northern areas just in case.

Their work was done in an hour and a half. Akio and Itachi took their positions in the trees while Michiko kneeled on one knee in the middle of the barriers. Eyes closed, a hand on the ground and another forming the seal of confrontation. It was a classic standby sensing position. Being a newbie sensor that just scraped Class C, her range was only 500 meters. While she couldn't sense the pandami, she could sense the disturbances they created.

Thirty agonising minutes later, Michiko announced into the radio:

"This is Michiko. A herd of pandami are approaching from the south. Numbers unknown. Estimated time till contact: one minute. Out."

54 seconds later, Michiko sensed the traps going off before hearing the explosions.

"This is Itachi. Estimated enemy numbers: 150, reduced to 120. Over."

"Akio. Set oil on fire. Estimated enemy deaths: 40. The enemy is jumping over the firewall. Itachi and I are currently picking them off with shuriken. Over."

"Michiko. Copy. Estimated current enemy numbers: 100. Chakra draining traps, activating. Projected enemy deaths: 70. Out."

"Itachi. There is a deviation in projections. The enemy has began digging underground. Estimated enemy deaths from chakra draining traps: 40. Over."

"Michiko. Enemy's target is either the defence barrier or the two of you. Retreat. Over."

"This is Akio! Escape route blocked! The pandami have emerged from the base of the tree! Over!"

"Itachi. I am in a similar situation. The enemy have began scaling the tree. Over."

"Michiko. Jump when they are almost on you. I have placed explosives around your location. Over."

"Itachi. Copy. Out."

"Akio. Copy. Out."

A second later, Michiko sensed the two of them jumping and activated the exploding seal.

"Itachi. Estimated enemy deaths: 20. Retreating. Over." Michiko felt a tingle in the back of her neck and jolted.

"Michiko. Retreat to the defense barrier. Enemy approaching from the north. Estimated numbers: 40. Total estimated numbers: 80. It's a pincer attack. Over."

A couple seconds later, Itachi and Akio were by her side.

"What do we do now?"

"It's only a matter of time before they find a weak point in the barrier. You probably can't feel it, but to a sensor, their bloodlust is very potent for such low chakra capacity animals. They are furious at their loss and will only be satisfied when either side is exterminated."

"Tch. What now? Anymore tricks?" asked Akio.

Michiko smirked. "But of course. Estimated chance of success: 100%. Estimated enemy deaths: 0."

"What are you going to do?"

"Something every ninja should be able to do."

Michiko closed her eyes as she felt the pandami penetrate the barrier faintly. She thought back of her lives in both world, the injustice of the ninja hierarchy and the dull flow of her past life. Anger seeped through her chakra and the urge to violently rip the world apart tore through her. As the pandami attacked, she released all her anger within her through her chakra.

Bloodlust. Bloodlust so potent, so tangible, it was nearly visible. A burst of animal cries filled the area as all animals quickly fled. The pandami's base instincts of survival burst forth, surpassing their feelings of rage and grief as they turned tail.

Michiko struggled to reign her bloodlust in. She had only used it once before and breathed a sigh of relief when the bloodlust died down and her usual calm slowly replaced the bubbling anger. Knowing that the residue bloodlust would fade in a few hours, Michiko turned to face her teammates.

It was the slightest tingle. Just instincts and passive sensing that saved her life as she backed away to dodge. A kunai pierced her stomach. She looked up and-

Sharingan. Itachi's Sharingan.

* * *

Seishiro immediately jumped down from his hiding spot.

"The test is cancelled. We're going to the hospital."

No one heard him. Itachi was still standing there, staring at his shaking hands and bloody kunai while Akio was struggling to comprehend what just happened.

"I-I didn't m-mean to…" Itachi stuttered. The Uchiha mask had shattered, leaving behind a lost little boy. Seishiro quickly picked Michiko as she fell to her knees. She pulled the kunai out carefully and both her hands lit up with medical chakra in an attempt to slow the bleeding and contain the damage, but the wound was clearly out of her league. With a shadow clone, he scooped Itachi and Akio up under his arms and quickly raced out of the Forest of Death.

He touched down in front of the hospital in twenty seconds. The moment he entered, nurses and medic nin surrounded him.

"Nara Michiko. Genin of team 11. Injury sustained from training accident. Unpoisoned kunai stab to the stomach. No other known injuries."

Neither Itachi nor Akio seemed to have acknowledged that they had passed. The test had been a farce all along, after all. There was no way he could fail the Uchiha heir. If he tried to, the council would ignore his recommendation or set up an apprenticeship for him. Even on the grounds of stabbing a teammate, the Uchiha clan and the Konoha council would wave it away and sweep it under the rug.

He hated politics. This was why he wanted a nice, normal team. He wanted a break from all the dirty political assassinations but he had merely gotten involved in clan politics.

"You are dismissed. Return home."

Eyes swerving between Itachi and Michiko, Akio glared at Itachi hatefully.

"You think you're going to get away with this, don't you? The worst part is that you're probably right. This whole incident will be ignored and everyone will continue kissing your ass. Genius clan heir? You're nothing but a spoilt, pampered brat! I can't wait till you get out there and realise that Mummy and Daddy dearest can't protect you anymore!"

Akio stomped out. Already, everyone's eyes were on them. Seishiro spotted a Hyuuga retainer staring suspiciously at a wall, a chuunin Aburame clearly using her kikaichu to listen in and an Inuzuka genin who openly stared.

Great. Just great.

"Go home. That's an order." Itachi stood there blankly, staring at the corridor Michiko had been carted off to before uttering a blank 'Yes, Sir' and leaving.

Seishiro held back a sigh. Now the only thing he had to do was report to the Hokage that the celebrated Uchiha genius had stabbed a favoured Nara during a genin test in the Forest of Death while defeating a herd of over 200 pandami that he had sent after them.

Just great.

* * *

"What's wrong, Itachi?" Itachi looked up from his bloody kunai to see his mother. Looking around, he realised that his feet had carried him home. Ninja Itachi screamed at him for being so careless while Inner Itachi told him to shut up and that stabbing a teammate was far more important. For once, Ninja Itachi yielded.

"I stabbed a teammate. During the genin test." Itachi resisted the urge to murmur

Mikoto opened the door. "Come in. We'll talk over food."

Itachi walked into the dining room and sat down. Mikoto returned with okonomiyaki, green tea and dango. Itachi mechanically cut the okonomiyaki evenly and took a bite.

"What happened?" Itachi chewed slowly, making sure to mash everything up before swallowing.

"Our genin test was in the Forest of Death. We were attacked by a herd of over 200 pandami. We reduced numbers to 40 before realising it was a pincer attack. The 80 pandami broke through the defence barrier Michiko-san had placed and we retreated to the centre at her command. Michiko-san's tactic was to release bloodlust, causing the pandami to flee. Failing to recognise her as an ally, I stabbed her on instinct."

Mikoto frowned. "Michiko? Nara Michiko?"

"Yes, why?"

Mikoto sighed. "Nara Michiko is a natural Shadow Mind user. Her bloodline is weak, but she's the top candidate bride to the clan heir. In terms of clan status, she's the most well-known branch member."

Itachi blinked as he considered the consequences. If he had been an ordinary Uchiha or her an ordinary Nara, everything would be fine. But since it was the two of them, this could become a political issue.

"I'll inform father."

"He's at the police station."

Itachi nodded and quickly finished up lunch. He left the house and made his way to the station.

"I'm here to see Uchiha Fugaku."

"He's waiting for you."

Itachi internally grimaced and tried not to move too slowly to his father's office. Of course, his father would've heard of the news by now. His normally silent footsteps sounded loudly on the pristine floors. As he walked towards his destination, normally warm, faked smiles were replaced with stony faces.

He knocked on the door. There was no answer. Itachi waited for twenty minutes before his father called him in.

"Father."

"Report." Itachi recounted what he had said to his mother. Fugaku looked down at him disapprovingly.

"You may be inexperienced, but you are still the heir to the Uchiha. The Uchiha clan is one of the four noble clans and is in charge of Konoha's internal security. Such incidents would diminish the standing of our clan. Not to mention the girl you stabbed is valuable to the Nara clan, which has unbreakable ties to the Akimichi clan, a noble clan. The Nara and Uchiha clans have cordial relations, something the Uchiha clan would not like to worsen. Should the girl wake up and press charges, this might result in-" Itachi only half listened to the rest of Fugaku's lecture. It wasn't anything he didn't already know.

"I will punish you later. Go home and reflect on what you have done."

"Yes, father. But something good came out of the encounter." Fugaku raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?"

"I awakened my sharingan." Fugaku's other eyebrow rose as well.

"I see. Make sure to do the clan proud."

Itachi nodded and left, knowing that the punishment had been lightened severely. But instead of going home, Itachi roof-hopped towards the hospital.

"Uchiha Itachi, visiting Nara Michiko." The receptionist raised an eyebrow. She had probably witnessed the incident and deduced that he was responsible for her injuries.

"Relation and reason for visit?"

"We are on the same genin team. I wish to inquire about her health." The receptionist gave him a suspicious once-over.

"She's in room 312. She's conscious but requires rest. Visiting hours end in half an hour, so please make your visit quick." Itachi nodded.

"Thank you."

After completing standard procedure, Itachi swiftly made his way up the stairs, bypassing the unsubtle whispers and stares. The whitewashed hospital and its people were as cold as ever. Itachi opened the door to room 312. It was a single-bedded room for minor injuries like simple stab wounds, third-degree poisonings and second-degree burns. Single rooms were generally only for people with clan funding or extremely paranoid ninja, thus the innumerable amount of privacy seals plastered all over.

"Itachi-san." Michiko was reading a book and seemed unsurprised at his visit.

"I apologise for my actions. Harming you was not my intention." Itachi closed the door, bowed and waited. It was a few seconds before he heard Michiko sigh.

"I'll believe that, little liar. As the commander on the scene, I should have taken into account that sudden exposure of bloodlust could trigger negative effects in genin. Don't worry, the Nara clan won't push charges." Itachi stood upright again. Ninja Itachi was relieved and Inner Itachi was glad she didn't hold it against him.

"That is a relief to hear."

"No inexperienced genin would react the way you did. You've been threatened by bloodlust before." Information scouting? Inner Itachi felt obliged to tell her and Ninja Itachi approved of her tactics. But walls had eyes and Itachi wasn't sure who was watching.

"As the Uchiha heir, I've experienced more than one kidnapping attempt."

"During the war?"

"Yes. It was a prime opportunity. My sharingan awoke due to your bloodlust."

"That's good news for the Uchiha. In return, you shall spar with me after I'm recovered. No holding back."

"Very well. I look forward to it." He really did. Itachi had never met someone his age who might pose a challenge. Michiko was a couple of years older, but Shisui aside, he had no friends.

Michiko's lips twitched upwards. "Don't expect too much. Oh, and Itachi-san?"

"Yes?"

"You are Uchiha Fugaku's son, clan heir and subordinate. According to most, you are his inferior and cannot raise a hand against him. But I see you, and your eyes are clearer than most. Yet your eyes have yet to blow away that last veil of mist. Return and take a good look. Listen to what is underneath the underneath. There are always loopholes and loopholes are meant to be exploited."

Itachi blinked at the sudden speech, not sure of what to make of it. "If you wish so. Seeing as visiting hours are nearly up, I shall take my leave."

"Goodbye."

Itachi turned to exit the hospital room and pushed the door open. Ninja Itachi was pleased to be able to report that the Nara wouldn't push charges while Inner Itachi was still marvelling over the beauty of a painless interaction with a female.

"Uchiha-san!" Inner Itachi groaned internally as he spotted a pretty pink-eyed girl. Her flawless porcelain skin and long stygian black hair were well-kept and her traditional clan kimono was heavy with expensive, brightly-coloured silk.

"Mori-san." The girl blushed. He kept the door open, because Michiko seemed interested in the interaction. It was absolutely not because he was secretly hoping that Michiko would save him again.

"Erm… Y-you c-can call me Kiyomi! I don't mind!" Inner Itachi winced. Kiyomi was his most dedicated stalker despite being a civilian. She was usually too shy to approach him, but when she did, it was always contrived.

"I apologise, but I do not feel that that would be appropriate, Mori-san. Was there something you wanted?" He didn't want to get close to her, but the Mori clan was a rich and powerful civilian clan. Their bloodline intersected with the Daimyo's only two generations ago and all Mori carried noble titles. Mori Kiyomi was the eldest child and only daughter of Mori Eiji, the current head of the Mori clan.

"Eh? No, I just- erm… That is…" Kiyomi tried to stutter out something. She rubbed her arm that was covered in a bandage and meekly made eye contact with him, obviously wanting him to notice. Ninja Itachi decided that indulging her would be best. Inner Itachi cursed his soul.

"Are you well? You seem to be wounded." Inner Itachi cringed at how stupid and stiff he sounded. Kiyomi clearly thought otherwise though, as she blushed furiously.

"Y-yes! I'm fine! I- I just fell into some b-bushes and c-cut myself… silly, right? Hahaha…" Kiyomi's false laughter faded as she self-consciously stared at the floor.

Itachi scrambled to find a suitable reply. Should he agree with her and laugh it off as well? It did seem like a silly mistake to him. However, he had been raised in a ninja household. Was this normal amongst civilians? If he agreed, would it sound like he was belittling her and looking down on her because of her civilian heritage? But he knew girls didn't like him contradicting them and Shisui said girls hated lies. So should he go for a neutral 'I'm glad you're better now'? But wouldn't that also imply that he did indeed think it was a silly mistake?

Itachi opted to stay silent and act as if he was waiting for Kiyomi to say more. This resulted in the pair standing stiffly, looking at anything but each other as an awkward silence hung in the air.

Wrong option.

"A-anyways! I'd like to t-thank you again for saving me! I'm a little c-clumsy and all… but thank you!" Ever since he had saved her from falling off a cliff, she had taken to stalking him. His father had complimented him as the incident put the Mori clan in the debt of the Uchiha, but Itachi had simply seen someone in danger and helped.

Clan politics made everything seem ugly.

Ignoring Ninja Itachi's voice that said Kiyomi's innocuous crush could be a political move and that he wouldn't be entertaining her if not for her clan status, Itachi attempted to form an acceptable response.

"I simply saw someone in danger and helped. No thanks is needed."

Kiyomi blushed as their eyes met and her stutter worsened. "I-It's just- I'm really grateful and all and erm… you're so k-kind and nice to me s-so erm… thank y- I-I mean- erm…" Kiyomi cast her eyes to the floor again and her voice trailed off into a mumble.

"Being able to talk to you is thanks enough. I am honoured to receive the opportunity of getting to know you." Kiyomi frowned, her downcast pink eyes misting over. On the inside, Itachi's brain was in full panic mode. Neither Inner nor Ninja Itachi knew how to deal with crying girls. Inner Itachi was waving his arms frantically in his brain, thinking about how mad his mother was going to be while Ninja Itachi began racing through all the possible complications this could bring to clan politics. Itachi attempted to calm down and focus on finding solutions immediately but as usual, he drew up a blank whenever social interaction was involved.

Outwardly though, Itachi only looked slightly constipated. Okay, step one was to figure out the cause. Why was she crying? The obvious answer was him, but specifically-

"Mori Kiyomi-san, was it?"

Both of them turned towards Nara Michiko. Inner Itachi burned the best incense at her shrine while Ninja Itachi (deeply) appreciated the backup. She truly was a competent support fighter.

"Y-yes?"

"I am Nara Michiko, a teammate of Itachi-san. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Kiyomi gave a small smile. "S-same here. It is an honour to meet Uchiha-san's colleague."

"I've heard of the Mori clan. It truly is a powerful and influential clan amongst civilian circles, as far as I am aware. Forgive me for my ignorance, but I am unfamiliar with civilian bloodlines. May I inquire as to your relations to the head of clan?" Itachi frowned internally. What was Michiko getting at?

"I'm the eldest daughter to Mori Eiji, the head of the Mori clan." Itachi calmed as Kiyomi seemed to gain her composure and her stutter faded. Suddenly, the shy, silly fangirl vanished and in its place was a somewhat tolerable member of the main line of Mori.

Michiko smiled at that. Ninja Itachi's approval reached new heights as he was unable to detect a trace of deceit or fraud in her smile. Kiyomi stiffened clearly at Michiko's smile.

"I see. I'm afraid that I don't come from a bloodline as powerful as either of you. Nevertheless, it is curious to see someone as upstanding as yourself in a ninja village. Did the capital not suit you?"

Kiyomi's reciprocal… smile was such a sham Ninja Itachi nearly cringed. "I wished for a change in scenery and new experiences. Konoha seemed like a pleasant place to start."

Michiko's smile widened in such a wholly genuine way that Itachi began to doubt his instincts. "Ah, you wish to experience the true face of Fire Country? If that's the case, I have the perfect route for you. If you would like one, I will have a map delivered to you."

Kiyomi blinked, taken aback. "T-that is nice of you to offer, b-but that really isn't necessary."

"Please, it would be an honour to be able to guide you."

What would Michiko gain from this? Itachi sent Michiko a questioning look. Michiko tapped her bedside subtly, the motion completely missed by Kiyomi.

 _You owe me._

Well… it couldn't be helped then. His mother wouldn't be pleased if he couldn't repay his own debts. Neither would his father.

"Michiko-san is an amazing strategist who holds an exceptional amount of knowledge in many fields, including geography. I hold her in high regard and I believe that accepting her unconditional help would be worthwhile." Kiyomi jolted, clearly having forgotten his presence.

"Y-you think so?" Itachi's eyes briefly flickered to Michiko's tapping hand, too quickly for Kiyomi's dull civilian senses to pick up on.

"Yes. It will allow you a deeper insight into the life of ninja and help you in the future." How, Itachi didn't know. But that was what Michiko had scripted out and insisted he believe it.

Kiyomi beamed. "I-I see. If th-that's the case, then I-I shall accept your generosity."

Michiko's eyes flickered to the door and she tapped on the bed. Inner Itachi grimaced at her request.

"We should be leaving soon as hospital visiting hours are ending. Would you like me to escort you home?"

Kiyomi's face looked like it was about to implode. "E-eh?! E-escort?! Erm, I- er-"

Itachi walked to the door and held it open for her.

"After you, Mori-san." Kiyomi squeaked and hastily scampered out of the door. Before leaving, Itachi gave Michiko a final look.

 _I know I stabbed you and all, but you're still going to have to explain why I have to go through this torture._

Itachi closed the door, but not before catching Michiko's deceptively sweet and genuine smile. Itachi was suddenly torn between being impressed, angry and bashing his head against the wall for his plain and utter foolishness.

Of course she wasn't going to forgive him so easily.


	3. Fraudulence

To say that things were tense was an understatement.

Not just within the team. Itachi had been given no less than 18 different lectures from various prominent Uchiha clan members on why his actions were disgraceful and dishonourable and what actions he should take from now on.

As if Itachi hadn't already figured it out himself. The Uchiha hailed him as a prodigy and dumped obligation upon obligation onto him, dressing it all up in pretty words while reminding him of his inferiority to the elders and council. Yet despite giving him more work and duty than an adult Uchiha, they didn't trust him with anything. The moment he slipped up, everyone turned their backs on him and scolded him as if he were a child.

Hypocrites. They were only upset because they couldn't openly boast about the clan prodigy gaining a sharingan at 7 without aggravating and disrespecting the Nara clan.

As for his genin team, things had gone from bad to worse. Akio's hostility was through the roof after the stabbing incident, leaving Michiko stuck in the middle with attempts to mediate. It was three months before Akio finally broke under all the pressure. To be honest, Itachi was surprised he had held out for so long.

"No! No more chasing cats, no more babysitting, no more garbage cleanup, no more stupid D-rank missions! I'm a real ninja now and I want to go on real missions!"

Everyone stared at Akio. Itachi personally felt that Akio was acting in a terribly inappropriate manner. Itachi himself wasn't too pleased, but he didn't feel the need to voice that in front of the Hokage and the mission desk chuunin.

Seishiro smacked Akio on the back of his head.

"A ninja mission typically consists of 95% reconnaissance, waiting and other mundane tasks. If you can't tolerate such basic missions, then there's no way you'll become chuunin, much less jounin."

"But these missions are meaningless! I have to get strong and this is just wasting time!"

This time, Seishiro smacked hard enough for Akio topple over and fall on the floor.

"It isn't meaningless, you're just not smart enough to see its meaning. With that sort of narrow world view, you'll never get anywhere."

Itachi could feel Akio's temper flare as he drew his kunai.

"You-" Michiko's shadow snaked out from under her and wrapped around Akio's arm.

"Akio-san. We are in front of the Hokage." At that, Akio immediately froze. Michiko withdrew her shadow and Akio put his kunai away.

The Hokage took his pipe out of his mouth and cleared his throat. "If you are finished, these are your missions for today. You are Konoha ninja. Your actions reflect on the village. Please be on your best behaviour at all times." It was a warning directed at Akio, reminding him that the Hokage had eyes everywhere and that he had to clean up his act. But despite the Hokage's efforts, the warning flew right over Akio's head.

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Team 11 chorused. Seishiro took the mission scrolls from the Hokage and the four of them left the building.

"So what is it this time? Picking weeds? Cleaning up manure? Helping old ladies cross the road?" Seishiro gave Akio a disapproving frown.

"Clearly, you aren't fit for a mission like this. Run laps on the sides of the outer walls until Michiko-chan and Itachi-kun are finished. 5 laps is the minimum."

Akio gaped. "Why do I always get special treatment? You never do it to them!"

"That's because you lack discipline. A ninja without discipline, common sense and wits is a dead ninja."

Akio glared. "You're just going easy on them because he's the clan heir and she's a girl. Just because I don't follow you around like an obedient dog doesn't mean I'm not strong!"

"Insubordination is punishable by law. At this rate, you'll be shunted off to the genin corps."

Akio snarled. "When I become jounin, I'll be stronger than you and then you'll see who's boss!" Still, Akio was sufficiently cowed by the threat and started running towards the wall.

Seishiro turned towards the two of them and passed Michiko the scroll. "This is your mission." Being a very hands-off teacher, he disappeared immediately.

"So what's the mission?"

Michiko sighed again. "It's a troublesome one. We're going to the Mori residence to do lawn work." Ah. Clan politics again. No wonder Seishiro sent Akio away. Most of the times, the easy jobs were from rich civilian clans for customary peacocking. Hiring a gardener would be cheaper and they could probably do a better job, but the lawn was the perfect place to show that the Mori were wealthy enough to hire genin for everything. Both of them leaped onto the rooftops without another word and made their way towards to Mori residence.

Michiko sighed. "Arakida-sensei isn't cut out for this."

Itachi blinked. "What do you mean? Didn't you say he was a dedicated teacher?"

"Yes, I did and my opinion hasn't changed. But he's obviously used to leading veteran ninja who already have a good dose of patience, discipline, maturity and other traits necessary for the job, not 12-year-old brats. He does well enough with mini adults like us, but when it comes to Akio-san who's the closest to a 'normal' ninja kid, he's at a complete loss. He treats Akio like a trained ninja rather than a child, that's why he's not getting through." Itachi's eyes narrowed. There was no way their sensei wasn't watching and Michiko knew that.

Nothing about Michiko was on accident. Itachi had learned that the hard way.

"I see, what would you suggest he do?"

Michiko smirked. "I'm not one to tell a ninja of Arakida-sensei's caliber what to do. You'll surpass him before your voice can break, but I'll never be the ninja that he is."

Itachi gave a small smile, something that seemed to happen often around Michiko. "Then what would you do?"

Michiko hummed. "Let kids deal with kids." The message resounded loud and clear. Michiko had requested Seishiro let her deal with Akio.

"I see. You've had more success than the both of us." Though he would've liked to know, Itachi didn't ask for the plan. Michiko rarely told them unless they were involved. But everything usually worked out in the end, so Ninja Itachi didn't cause much fuss.

The two of them landed neatly in front of the grand Mori mansion. In ninja villages, buildings were kept low to prevent massive collapses during combat and disasters and blocking off the ninja's field vision. Extravagant amounts of money were needed to get permits for extra floors and the permit prices increased exponentially. Most businesses could only afford two stories, three if you were a rich multi-national company. The Mori mansion stood five stories high, a testament to the Mori wealth. Michiko walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. They waited for half a minute before an old lady answered the door.

She posed a regal and intimidating figure. Her thin white hair was pinned up neatly in a bun with a platinum and emerald hair pin. She wore a traditional Mori kimono of the highest quality and her posture and body language was perfect for a lady of her standing. Her snow white skin was clearly well cared for and her hands and feet were precisely manicured. Though Mori Asuka should be in her 70s, she looked no older than 55.

"Ah, you must be the genin team."

"That is correct. Team 11 has been assigned to this mission. May I confirm as to the particulars of the mission?" Michiko asked.

"Just a little lawn work. The gardens are huge and very delicate."

"Worry not. The both of us have enough skill to do some topiary work."

The old lady smiled. "Wonderful! You do seem more skilled than the previous genin teams. Come now. I'll show you to the gardens."

Michiko and Itachi entered the house, Itachi moving to stand beside her. "You seem familiar, young ninja. Would you happen to be related to the Uchiha?"

Itachi nodded. "I am Uchiha Itachi. It is a pleasure to meet you." Inwardly, Inner Itachi frowned. He had hoped to keep this visit free of clan politics. But it couldn't be helped, so Ninja Itachi took over.

"Ah, forgive an old woman's memory, I remember now. I've heard many things about the talents of the Uchiha heir. All good, of course, and I believe you are acquainted with my granddaughter, Kiyomi." Itachi had come expecting at least one or two awkward interacted with Kiyomi, but she was nowhere to be found. Ninja Itachi's suspicions spiked. Could Kiyomi have followed Michiko's advice?

"Yes, I am. I met her briefly a few months back. How is she?"

"I'm sure she's doing just fine. She seems to have developed an interest in travel to rather… unsavory places suddenly. Would you happen to know how it started?" Although she was of common birth, Mori Asuka had managed to get herself married to a Mori main house member. Shortly after the marriage, Mori Eiji's two older brothers died in an accident, leaving him as clan head. Itachi wasn't surprised she was onto him.

"My teammate is very capable."

Asuka gave a very impressive smile, but it was incomparable to Michiko's masterful art. "I see. What is your name?" Asuka asked Michiko.

"Nara Michiko."

Asuka examined Michiko, clearly sizing her up. Michiko was a common name and not customary of the Nara. Asuka would be correct in assuming that one of Michiko's parents was a civilian and her bloodline was diluted.

"That is a beautiful name. What do you think of my granddaughter? I do recall you visiting us a couple of times."

They arrived at the huge expanse of gardens. Ninja Itachi's senses tingled wildly at the sheer amount of exceptional infiltration, trapping and spying spots. It was clearly a civilian's home and- wait. Michiko visited Kiyomi multiple times? What for?

"I've only known her briefly, but I know potential when I see it."

The two ladies examined each other intensely, a showdown in the art of body language. One was tall and regal, decked in white and colour while the other short and scruffy, dressed in monotone and black. They stood on either side of the gardening tools with vibrant flowers and lush greenery in the background. It was as if time had stopped just for them as even the sun granted perfect lighting and depth to the picture. Inner Itachi would've found this scene amusing, but Ninja Itachi felt frustratingly out of loop. What was going on?

"The Nara name lives up to its reputation. Have you taken on any students before?" Itachi blinked. What kind of question was that? No 10-year-old, however skilled they may be, took on a apprentice.

"A couple. I was forced to leave them though." Wait, what? Ninja Itachi went into a frenzy at the new information, even going as far as to briefly activate his sharingan. But, no. There was not a single trace of a lie. The sharp, amused flicker of Michiko's eyes towards him told him she knew what he was doing. Itachi might've missed the flicker had it not been for his activated sharingan.

"I see." Despite the blatantly false information, Asuka didn't seem fazed. "You are indeed a capable young woman."

"Thank you. Such a compliment from a woman as proficient as yourself is to be greatly honoured. Shall we get down to business? I believe we will be seeing each other again regardless."

Asuka smiled pleasantly. "Yes, we shall."

When they had picked up the tools and were far enough from Asuka, Itachi spoke up.

"What was that about?"

"Hmm… Nothing much for now. If you let me into the Uchiha compound, it may become something."

"What do you mean?"

Michiko's returning grin was, on the surface, no different from normal. But Ninja Itachi flinched and retreated as a hint of something dark and bestial shadowed her visage.

"Your father's hiding some nasty little secrets. I'll let you in on them eventually if I meet him."

The rest of the mission was completed in silence.

* * *

"Michiko-san, I have the scroll you requested." Michiko looked up from her scroll work. Every time he saw her, she was either reading, training or making fuuinjutsu. Her only hobbies were shogi, drawing or doing calligraphy, the latter two would improve her brush skills for fuuinjutsu and shogi would improve strategic skills. Needless to say, Ninja Itachi approved of her downtime activities though Inner Itachi found them a little weird.

Akio scrowled. "That's part of the main house library! It's against the rules to take it out of the compound."

"The clan head has made an exception this time. He has censored all sensitive information and feels it is best to make amends to the Nara."

Akio scoffed. "Like hell. It's just blatant favouritism. Daddy's little boy gets all the benefits."

Itachi shrugged. "If you say so." There was no point in this confrontation.

"Are you mocking me?"

Itachi chose not to answer. It was a waste of breath and Akio would twist it into an insult either way.

"You bastard! Without the clan, you are nothing! I don't care how good you are at throwing shuriken, nothing can ever make up for your attitude!"

By this point, Michiko had finished or at least stabilized whatever she was making. She'd swiftly sealed all the reference books she'd been using into a storage scroll before strolling over to the two of them.

"Itachi-san. May I inspect the scroll?"

"Of course." Itachi held out the scroll. Michiko reached over to take it, but Akio yanked her back.

"Don't go near the bastard, Michiko-chan. He'll probably backstab you again." Itachi could see Michiko's lips twitch in amusement as Akio pushed her behind him as if to protect her. Nevermind that she was stronger than him. Akio was very much an Uchiha in his attitude and views.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Akio looked at her doubtfully. "I know you're smart and all, but you need to be more careful, Michiko-chan. Just cuz' he's a kid doesn't mean you should trust him." Itachi felt a little incredulous. Itachi knew Akio wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and that he shared the traditional Uchiha views on female intelligence (that they had none and were fragile, stupid damsels in distress reliant on male leadership), but it was still incorrigibly foolish to dismiss her intelligence just as it was to dismiss him because of his age.

Michiko smiled at Akio sweetly. "Regardless of his personality or any undesirable traits, we are going to be on the same team for the next few years. How about you agree to disagree?"

Akio frowned. "Yeah, but I still hate him. Bastards like him should not exist."

Michiko patted his shoulder comfortingly and spoke softly. "There are always going to be people and things you don't like. I, for one, don't like the heat of Konoha's summer. But I can't do anything about that, can I? Sometimes, you just have to endure. In the words of the Kage, a ninja is one who endures. When you rise through the ranks, you'll meet many unpleasant things, Itachi-san will just be a stepping stone. If you can handle him, surely you can handle the rest."

To Itachi's surprise, Akio seemed to consider her words. He activated his sharingan, but could detect no genjutsu or fuuinjutsu. Itachi was sure Michiko didn't have the skill to get past his sharingan and he had been equally sure Akio would blow up at being told what to do by a girl. How did she do it?

"Fine." Akio spat out grudgingly. "I'll _tolerate_ him, but don't expect me to make nice."

Michiko's small smile widened into a grin as she hugged Akio tightly.

"Thank you, Akio-san." After a few seconds, she pulled back.

Akio stared at her, shocked. "I-It's no big deal! I'm going to be an elite jounin! I can handle this much!"

Michiko nodded. "I'll be supporting you."

Akio stared at her face, looking a little stunned. He then looked away, blushing bashfully.

"I… thank you."

Michiko's smile was soft and sweet.


	4. Dominance

"3… 2… 1… Start!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." Michiko dodged the fireball easily. Itachi immediately sprinted to close the distance. He was a mid-range fighter whereas Michiko was long-ranged. His fire techniques usually dissipated before they could reach her if he didn't try to get close.

"Shadow Gathering Technique." Shadow 'tentacles' stretched out from Michiko, forcing Itachi back. Itachi had learned that engaging Michiko in close range combat was best because her taijutsu was dismal. However, getting close was frustratingly difficult. If he went into her 'shadow territory', he would be trapped in her shadows.

"Demonic Illusion: Mirage Crow." Michiko's eyes glazed over and Itachi threw shuriken along the path he intended to take. A few exploded, deactivating the trap seals Michiko had placed. Itachi sprinted along the safe path. Even though he could see the chakra imprints with his sharingan, Michiko's Shadow Gathering Technique had sent her chakra in all directions, making his sharingan unable to differentiate between the two.

"Blazing Shuriken Dance!" The six shuriken raced towards Michiko, set afire by the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

"Kai!" Michiko released the genjutsu in time to see the shuriken. She dodged, but two shuriken clipped her left shoulder and hip as the fire flared. But since Michiko was wearing standard non-flammable ninja attire, the flames died quickly, leaving third-degree burns. Itachi rushed to her, kunai in hand. The blade slammed against a barrier, the tip breaking off from the force of the collision.

Itachi blinked at the trap barrier. So Michiko had enough skill for chakra specific activated traps. He retreated, only to find himself slamming into another barrier. His sharingan revealed a triple-walled barrier. He knew without thinking that this was a disastrous situation. He was in her territory so his taijutsu was negated. The barriers were no doubt ninjutsu-proof and Michiko could break his genjutsu before he could break her barrier.

"Shadow Neck Binding Technique." Michiko's shadow snaked into the barrier, with nowhere to run, her shadow easily captured him and started strangling him. Scratch that, Michiko would strangle him before he could cast a genjutsu.

"I g-give." Itachi gasped out. The barrier instantly dropped and Michiko's shadow retreated. Itachi coughed and choked for a few seconds before reality sunk him.

Michiko had _defeated him in battle._

By the side of the training field, Seishiro, while impressed, seemed completely unsurprised. Akio had already gone home.

"I see. The reason why you wanted to spar wasn't to train, or at least that wasn't the main motive. You wanted to gather data on my fighting skills and habitual bias."

Michiko gave him a pleased smile. "Exactly. It did take me 25 spars, 6 months, 2 weeks and 3 days, though. That's a terribly long time, kudos to you. Now if you want to go and do something funny, I know I can stop you now, little liar."

The spar had been short, less than a minute, but Itachi was panting and breathing heavily. Itachi could feel the grin spread across his face and Ninja Itachi didn't even protest. Because for the first time in forever, both Inner Itachi and Ninja Itachi were rejoicing together. As one being.

He was Uchiha Itachi. Prodigy of four generations. Exalted clan heir of the noble clan of Uchiha. Graduated Academy within a year. Made genin at 7. Activated and mastered sharingan at 7. The list of 'amazing' 'achievements' meant nothing to Itachi because they were so easily grasped, so easily achieved that they couldn't truly be called achievements. Itachi knew he would be jounin level by his eleventh birthday and the title meant nothing. He would rival the Hokage before he was done with puberty and it meant nothing.

Shisui had defeated him, Fugaku had defeated, a jounin could probably defeat him as well. But it was all brute strength and Itachi knew that with time, he would overcome them with ease. Itachi hated fighting, but he loved the ninja arts. He looked at Shisui and mourned the day he would be able to surpass Shisui in his craft. And he knew that day would come.

But Michiko was weaker, both chakra-wise and physically. A lot weaker and less talented. And she had defeated him. She could defeat him and would defeat him again and again. With an opponent like Michiko, he would never be undefeated. Ever. No matter how much stronger he was, Michiko was infinitely smarter. She could and would find a way to triumph over him.

Itachi felt a sense of completion as Michiko smiled her secret smile with radiant black eyes. With the tinge of unholy insanity edging in as the sun set in the background, Itachi knew Michiko felt the same.

"Get up, little liar. It's time for round two."

Itachi's blood red world sharpened and shifted, the memory forever etched into his mind.

* * *

"How has your training been?" asked Fugaku.

"Acceptable." replied Itachi. It was the first time in three weeks that they had sat down as a family for dinner. Fugaku had had a flood of cases and his two-year-old brother, Sasuke was barely containing his excitement over seeing his father.

"And-"

"Papa! Papa!" Fugaku gave Sasuke a disapproving look for his interruption. But before he could reprimand him, Mikoto lightly smacked his hand.

"Sasuke-chan, it's impolite to interrupt. Apologise to your father."

Sasuke pouted. "Sorry."

Fugaku continued on as if nothing happened."How is your progress with the sharingan?"

"I managed to fully awaken the sharingan today."

Fugaku looked faintly surprised. "As expected of my son. Were you on a mission?"

"No. It was a training session. My teammate managed to defeat me."

Fugaku definitely looked surprised. "Your teammate? The Akio boy is a failure at ninjutsu and genjutsu and his bloodline is all but obsolete. Even though he's twelve, he shows no signs of the sharingan."

"No, not him."

"The Nara girl? You said her abilities were below the Akio boy's. She's a support fighter and other than her condition, there's nothing special about her."

"Only physically. In terms of chakra skills, Michiko-san surpasses Akio-san. Other than her shadow techniques and fuuinjutsu, Michiko-san has no skills of note, but since she started specialising early, the flexibility of her style makes her a tricky opponent." It was a bad match-up. His fire techniques didn't have enough range, Michiko was exceptional at countering genjutsu and Itachi couldn't copy any of her jutsu. Forget copying, he couldn't even identify her seals because fuuinjutsu was a very delicate and niche art. Like genjutsu, it wasn't worth expanding the effort in if you weren't going to specialise.

"I expect you to defeat her next time."

"I'm not sure if I can."

"What?" It was unlike Itachi to say anything other than 'Yes, father'.

"Before this, I've beaten her in 25 spars. During those spars, she gathered enough knowledge to defeat me in less than a minute. I may defeat her in the next spar, but my victory won't last. If her opponent is in the same league, raw strength and skill matter little before her and her level of intellect is outstanding even for a Nara." Fugaku eyed him, his eyes taking on a familiar gleam. If Michiko had been a first generation ninja, Fugaku would've punished him. But since she was a Nara, Fugaku would probably let his failure slide.

"I see. This Nara girl seems to be interesting. Invite her for a formal dinner tomorrow."

For the first time, Ninja Itachi felt the need to protest against Fugaku's orders. As his clan heir, subordinate and son, Itachi was expected to follow orders without question. He was a ninja. A mindless tool that served his master. But despite Itachi's attempts, Fugaku was severely underestimating Michiko. The primary motive was obviously information gathering, but in all likeliness, Michiko would probably gather more information on the Uchiha than Fugaku would on her.

It wouldn't even be a showdown. Fugaku held little respect for women and non-physical displays of strength. Itachi had witnessed with his own two eyes how Fugaku dealt with kunoichi and sneak attacks. It happened every day in their household as his mother wisely picked her battles and sneakily tricked Fugaku into doing what she wanted without him realising it. Michiko would crush Fugaku and he wouldn't even know it. Michiko might even let him think he'd won.

However, in a rare fit of rebellion, Inner Itachi held his tongue. If Michiko had been a male with a strong bloodline, Fugaku would've asked for his opinion before proceeding. Fugaku was a capable clan head and ninja, but he often let his bias and prejudice cloud his vision and the entirety of the Uchiha council was the same way. Having spent the last five years behind a desk made him complacent and closed to new possibilities. Itachi would be lying if he said the Uchiha's elitist and sexist views didn't annoy him. Besides, Michiko didn't intend to harm the Uchiha. She would grow up to be formidable, but for now, there was nothing she could do. As his clan heir, subordinate and son, it would be improper to disobey and Fugaku wouldn't listen to his mini killing machine anyway. Fugaku was renowned for his stubbornness and strict views of propriety and social status. It was in that moment that Itachi saw a little of what Michiko had been trying to tell him at the hospital.

So Itachi sipped his tea and replied with his standard 'Yes, father'.

As his clan heir, subordinate and son, Itachi couldn't disobey Fugaku. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide and he couldn't fight. But siccing Michiko onto him was perfectly legal.

* * *

"Greetings from the Uchiha clan. As the clan heir of the noble clan of Uchiha and the first son of Uchiha Fugaku, clan head of the noble clan of Uchiha and commissioner of the Konoha Military Police Force, I, Uchiha Itachi, hereby invite Nara Michiko to a formal dinner at the Uchiha main house residence."

The woman at the door blinked. She had a bigger build, something Michiko had inherited, and was gifted in the chest and hip region. With her curvaceous figure and defined features, she might've been a beauty in another world. But her long dirty blonde hair was loose, messy and in no particular style. Her civilian clothing was fraying and nothing concealed its poor quality. Her chakra was weak and clearly civilian. Her skin, hair and nails looked rough and unpolished from negligence. Her hands were calloused and there were prominent bags under her eyes. She wore no makeup or jewellery except for a plain marriage band and cheap, clip-on earrings.

Any other Uchiha would've sneered at her, dismissing her as a weak civilian woman of poverty and low social standing. A feeble-minded woman who irresponsibly abandoned her familial duties and foolishly forsaked a cushy life, swept up by romance and fallen from grace. It was easy to, but Itachi knew better. Despite living in a tiny house within a poor district, she stood upright, posture perfect, and held herself like a noblewoman. Her clear blue eyes were sharp and searching, yet her smile was kind and wholly genuine. She had an air of subtle peace and calm. Her visage, while well-worn, managed to be both friendly and guarded.

Itachi had no doubt that she was Nara Aina, the woman who raised and gave birth to Michiko.

"You must be one of her teammates. Michiko is out at the moment, but she should be back soon. Would you like to come in for tea?"

Itachi had planned for this to be a short visit, but both Inner and Ninja Itachi were curious about Michiko. Despite being teammates for over 6 months, Itachi was still unable to pin down Michiko's character. Anything about her was described with 'probably', 'maybe' and other such synonyms and Ninja Itachi hated the uncertainty. He had, of course, checked her background, her associates, her personality profile, her fighting skills, her social status and anything that might tell him something about her personality, but Michiko never fell into the dubious range of 'normality' in any category he slotted her in. She was an abnormality, a wild card and ninja didn't like uncontrollable variables, Itachi included. She just didn't react the way someone brought up in the Konoha or Nara society would, so something must have happened to warp her perception of reality so much. Examining her home would likely yield a few clues.

"If you would have me. I'd like to be better acquainted with the woman who raised Michiko-san. She has been a very competent comrade."

"Of course, come on in." Itachi walked through the doorway as the door squeaked shut.

"Sorry to bother you, Nara-san." Itachi took off his shoes and placed them neatly to the side.

"Oh no, not at all. How about you wait at the shogi table while I prepare tea? We don't expect visitors, so I'm afraid we don't have a proper sitting area."

"Of course, Nara-san. Thank you for your hospitality."

Itachi glanced over the underwhelming dwelling and decided to sneak around before the woman returned. His set of rooms was a lot bigger than the whole apartment. There were few decorative items and large areas of the white-washed walls were empty. The arrangement of decoratives, however, suggested that they might've had more before. Michiko's family hadn't always been so impoverished. The furniture was well-seasoned and they had exactly what they needed. There were only two chairs and the bed in the only room was just big enough for two to squeeze. With his activated sharingan, Itachi detected an innumerable amount of traps plastered all over the apartment, but it suited Michiko's commendably paranoid personality. He was unable to discern their purpose but was glad they didn't activate in his presence.

Despite its minimalistic practicality, the apartment was far from empty. Topnotch sealing scrolls and ink were carefully placed and surrounded by an indiscernible number of traps. Gifts by the clan, no doubt. The sheer amount of seals layered atop one another emitted so much chakra, spots danced in Itachi's sharingan eyes from the blue light. There were probably many ninjutsu scrolls in the stack and a giant scroll-case and bookcase stretched across the blank walls and the ceiling, half-filled with Michiko's scrolls and books. The sheen of residue chakra across the shelves forced Itachi to deactivate his sharingan to examine it. Itachi's eyes widened with amazement at what he saw. These weren't Michiko's books. These were scrolls she had either borrowed or 'borrowed' from others. Recognising some of the titles, Itachi ran some quick calculations and realised that Michiko probably read at least 100 books and scrolls per week. Knowing Michiko, it was probably more, but no wonder she was so knowledgeable.

Sensing that Michiko's mother would be done soon, Itachi swiftly sat down on the thin cushion before a small square table. Beside the table were a few stacks of neatly placed shogi boards and pieces.

"Tea is here." Aina placed a small ceramic cup in front of him. It was a little chipped and the tea was made from a cheap tea bag and hot water. Drinking a little, Itachi concluded that this was probably the worst tea he'd ever drank. But judging by the colour of Aina's tea, this was a fresh tea bag whereas Aina's had been used multiple times. While weak and distasteful, this tea was most likely the best Aina could offer.

"Thank you for the tea. Did Michiko-san mention where she was going?"

"She's probably hurling back some scrolls from the library. Genin clearance has given her many more options and she's trying to read everything available." Genin clearance wasn't much and lots of information was still censored, but it opened up lots of paths for genin to consider their specialisation. As a result, there were many, many basic level scrolls available in just about every field. Despite the seeming futility of Michiko's quest, Itachi found himself unsurprised.

"I see. If anyone could read every scroll in the Konoha library, it would be Michiko-san."

Aina smiled. "My daughter is very determined once she sets her mind."

"You don't stop her? I am unfamiliar with civilian customs, but from what I've gathered, most civilians would classify her habits as unhealthy paranoia."

Aina put down her tea. "And what do you think, Itachi-kun?"

"There is no such thing as paranoia in the ninja world, only instinct and caution."

Aina sighed. "Exactly. I did what I could to stop her, but this was the path she chose. She is an adult in the eyes of the law and there is no way to out-stubborn Michiko. As a mother, I worry that my daughter wouldn't come home, but as a civilian, there is nothing I can do. I have no place in the ninja world and the best I can do is support her along her path. Michiko is a tough girl who's smart enough to handle herself. I believe in her. I trust her to follow her own path. Who am I to judge what is right or wrong after all?"

"My mother takes a similar approach, but even she isn't quite as… agreeable as you are. It is common practice for parents to make decisions for their children when they are young."

Aina gave a bitter chuckle. "That may be true. Maybe I am too lenient. But a mother is someone who guides their children and shelters them with their wisdom. I have little wisdom to offer her."

"I do not believe this to be true. Michiko is a wonderful young woman and a great leader, but her countenance bears much resemblance to you. I am inclined to believe the home she was raised in is the foundation to her success as a ninja."

Aina shook her head. "Michiko has always been this way. I would go as far as to say she influenced me more than I did her."

"What do you mean?"

Aina shook her head. "I don't claim to know what goes on in my daughter's head. If you wish to know, you will hear it from no one but Michiko herself. You will never figure it out unless she allows you to."

Itachi wondered what could have inspired such confidence. Michiko was smart, but she was still her ten-year-old daughter. His own parents never trusted him with any decisions. There was something strange, something… otherworldly about Michiko and her sudden appearance in his life yet nothing tipped off Ninja or Inner Itachi's alarms. Itachi honestly didn't know what to make of her other than a capable team leader and tentative ally. While Inner Itachi was all for being 'best buds' with a rational girl, Ninja Itachi couldn't bring himself to trust such an uncertain element.

"I see." Itachi didn't.

Aina smiled sadly. "It's amazing what loss and poverty can do to a child. You seem wiser than someone of your youth should be."

"It's amazing what war can do to a child."

"I see." Unlike Itachi, Aina seemed to mean her words. She offered no words or looks of condolence and pity.

The pair sat in silence, unsure of what more to say to one another. Luckily, it wasn't long before Michiko returned.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home. Did you have a productive trip?" greeted Aina.

Michiko shrugged. "It was a good haul." She took her shoes off and laid them beside Itachi's.

"Itachi-san. What brings you to our humble abode?"

"As the clan heir of the noble clan of Uchiha and the first son of Uchiha Fugaku, clan head of the noble clan of Uchiha and commissioner of the Konoha Military Police Force, I, Uchiha Itachi, hereby invite you to a formal dinner at the Uchiha main house residence."

"Time? Date?"

"Tomorrow at 7."

Michiko's sweet, secret little smile appeared more devious than usual. "Very well. It sounds like it would be cute."

By now, Itachi knew that Michiko's 'cute' had multiple interpretations depending on context and execution. All of them deviated from the dictionary definition. They tended to signify something rather… unfortunate to the recipient. If he was reading this correctly, the current application of the word meant that Michiko was absolutely certain the situation would benefit her greatly. But despite the blatant threat the Uchiha clan faced, Ninja Itachi found himself strangely unconcerned. Which concerned him.

Michiko looked around and sighed. "Don't tell Akio-san you were in my house. He'll get all protective over me."

Itachi nodded. Ever since the stabbing, Akio fretted about Michiko constantly, something Itachi found strange. "Do you know why Akio-san is so? I thought he disliked you."

"He did. I didn't fit the image he had of a girl which was sweet and subservient. As he didn't know how to classify me, he treated me like a threat, his default reaction. But since I was stabbed by you, in his eyes, I am your victim. You wronged me and that puts me on his side. Seeing you beat me constantly in spars as well as suffering from my injury painted me in a more delicate tone so he feels justified in treating me like he would a girl. That way, he's more agreeable to suggestions, but not commands."

Itachi considered her hypothesis. "I see. That makes sense. But Akio-san still respects your status as team leader and listens to your commands. How-"

Then Itachi remembered their first meeting and the Forest of Death. How despite his distrust of females and Akio's abrasive attitude, Michiko had instantly gained his favour and endeared Akio to her within a day.

"You planned this didn't you?" Itachi watched as Michiko pulled two dozen scrolls out of the small backpack and loaded them onto the case. Despite the size of the pack, Michiko kept pulling out more and more.

"Not really. There were too many unknown variables. I didn't foresee having two Uchiha teammates, the fangirls ganging on you or the stabbing. I merely turned disadvantageous situations into beneficial ones.

"Akio-san is very narrow-minded, but when his view widens slightly, it stays that way. Being an instinctual creature, he saw my strength in the Forest of Death and on a visceral level, acknowledged my dominance. He doesn't value intelligence as he does brute strength, so consciously seeing me as smarter isn't a blow to his fragile ego. He sees me as a soft, feminine figure consciously and the alpha female instinctively. Instead of forcing the latter image onto him, I'm slowly easing him into it by asserting my authority while showing that I support him and mean him no harm. The damsel-in-distress image will always remain, but with time, I can make him consciously acknowledge me as dominant."

"Am I right in assuming you have a plan to conciliate the two of us?"

Michiko paused in her unloading. "Plans, yes. Definite solution, no. Akio-san is easy to read, so perhaps I'll be able to find a solution soon. Getting the both of you on cordial terms would take years and a number of near death or traumatising incidents, so don't hold out hope. But minimising hostility is very much possible."

"I understand. I'll leave social issues to you." It had irked him at first, but with Shisui's guidance, he had reluctantly accepted his subpar social abilities. In Team 11, it would seem as if everyone but Michiko was socially deficient, making her the default manager of social issues and interactions.

"Good. I'll tell you what to avoid when it comes up." By this point, Michiko had unloaded 37 scrolls, 24 books and counting. That was when he realised that his estimation was wrong. Factoring in library regulations and time restrictions, Michiko had to read at least 200 scrolls/books. There was also no way they could all fit in the pack. Michiko followed his gaze and smirked.

"Space expansion seals."

"You made them."

"Of course. Space-tempering seals are complicated, delicate and very, very expensive."

Fuuinjutsu was ridiculously expensive due to high demand and low supply. Despite its versatility, fuuinjutsu remained a niche field due to its complexity and difficulty. It was hard to apply in battle and the ink and scrolls needed could buy 100 kunai. Even smoke bomb seals were beyond a genin's pay and a jounin's salary mostly went to equipment and clan tax. Most civilians saw the A-rank mission prices and condemned ninja for overcharging without considering the expenses and risks and fuuinjutsu was a prime example.

"How good are you at space seals?"

Michiko sighed. "I'm just starting. I can do storage seals and chakra locks better than market quality, but I can't layer too many seals on top of each other which is why I didn't do the 'scroll within a scroll' trick seal masters like to do."

"Rank?" Itachi couldn't even evaluate Michiko's strength. That was how rare fuuinjutsu specialists were. After the fall of Uzushiogakure, there were maybe half a dozen fuuinjutsu masters and half of those were from Konoha. Even with the support of her clan, Itachi wondered how Michiko got her learning materials. Itachi had been disappointed to hear Michiko wasn't good at taijutsu and wasn't a front line combatant before realising that the tricky battle style suited Michiko perfectly. It was only until much, much later (with the subtle help of his mother) that he realised that his initial disappointment came from fear that Michiko was just another girl.

"Hmm… Mid Class C. At the rate I'm going, I'll be able to make a decent coffin by the time you're an ANBU captain."

"Why do you wish to become a coffin maker? Someone like you could accomplish so much more in less time."

Michiko sighed. "Well, little liar, would you say Arakida-sensei is superior to me?"

Itachi blinked at the sudden question. "...Yes. In both rank and skill, Arakida-sensei would be considered your superior."

Finished loading up all the scrolls and books, Michiko turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Skillswise, I am superior to him."

What? "Michiko-san, while I do believe that one day, you will gain the ability to defeat Arakida-sensei, but at this point in time-"

"No, no, no, sweetheart. Remember that one time Arakida-sensei decided to cook?" Itachi winced internally at that memory. "Exactly. Arakida-sensei's better at the whole ninja thing, but I am a superb cook who has had cooking lessons from the Akimichi. I can cook delicious meals and fill the bellies of my loved ones while Arakida-sensei is just better at killing people. How is he superior to me?"

"... That is an interesting perspective."

Michiko shrugged. "Not really. No one occupation is strictly better than another. To peace-loving civilians outside Konoha, a ninja's job is dishonourable and bloody despite the propaganda the government puts out. Just like the capital thinks being a Daimyo is holy and ninja think the Daimyo is a bumbling fool. I want to be a coffin maker. Who are you to say that that is inferior to a path you think I could follow? Many may see you as privileged and vie for your status, but you are bound too tightly to your titles. Having a path laid out for you doesn't mean you have to follow it, little liar."

Recalling Aina's words about paths, Itachi realised that this subject meant a lot to Michiko. As Uchiha Itachi, he was bound to his titles of clan heir, ninja prodigy and Konoha ninja. His career path, his friends, his family… his future had been planned out for him at birth. He held little power over his own life shaped by duty and obligation. The Uchiha were rigid in their teachings. When he deviated from the Uchiha style, he was punished for 'tainting the beauty of the mighty Uchiha way and destroying centuries of regal tradition'.

Michiko, who could defeat him, used her shadows atypically for a Nara. Her seals were vastly different from market ones and her attitude similar to the common lazy Nara genius, was merely a clever disguise to her determination and might. Had she been born in the main house, she would've used shadows like a main house Nara, never touched fuuinjutsu and grown up like a lazy Nara. He was taught that power, blood and connections meant everything. That only through service, duty and discipline would one rise in power. That only through being bound by these chains that he would amount to anything. Yet Michiko, a dirt-poor girl free of obligation and duty with no ancestry to speak of could beat him to the ground.

Michiko's strength came from freedom.

It went against everything he'd been taught. Michiko's very existence defied the Uchiha's teachings. He, clan heir of the noble clan of Uchiha, was bound tightly by chains while she walked free of blood and wealth. He, the shining symbol of the proud and noble Uchiha, blindly walked the bloody path set out for him, so tightly bound he'd never bothered to look for a better path while she scanned the infinite paths and picked the best one at crossroads within a blink. He, the once in a generation Uchiha prodigy, seen as the perfect ninja, was in reality nothing more than a coward afraid to defy conventional wisdom while she stood for what she thought was right regardless of legality or traditional morality.

With that came the sudden epiphany that he, Uchiha Itachi, was a fool when next to her, Michiko, who had seen through his lies and self-deception in an instant.

"I apologise for my impudence."

Michiko smiled like a proud parent and Itachi knew the apology was accepted.

"Then be a gentleman and escort me to the party, little liar."


	5. Eternal Fealty

"The Uchiha welcome you to the Uchiha compound."

With the clan heir beside Michiko, no one questioned her presence. Even if he hadn't been there, Itachi had no doubt the news would've made its rounds as non-politically important outsiders were rarely allowed into the compound, much less invited formally to the main house residence.

Michiko's gentle-and-gracious-smile turned on. Itachi had meticulously documented every version of Michiko's smile just for this event. "Thank you for the warm welcome. May I ask for a name?"

"Uchiha Inabi." Inabi replied stiffly.

"Nara Michiko. It is good to meet you."

They entered the compound and within five meters of the gate, they had 'bumped' into their first (self) important Uchiha.

"Good evening, Itachi-kun, Michiko-chan."

Michiko's smile switched up for confrontation. "Good evening, Uchiha-san. How are you?"

The Uchiha elder's lip corners turned down at the inappropriate address. "Do you know who I am?"

Michiko's smile remained polite as it switched to confrontation mode, something Itachi only recognised after months of studious research. "I believe you visited me on the third hour of my hospitalisation. It is a pleasure to meet you while fully conscious."

"I am Uchiha Yashiro, an elder of the Uchiha council." Yashiro looked down at Michiko, daring her to defy him. Bad move. Michiko was more stubborn than a council of Uchiha _and_ Hyuuga put together in the same room. Itachi had yet to hear her address anyone with 'sama' when it didn't benefit her in some way.

"I am Nara Michiko, a branch member of the Nara clan."

Yashiro openly glared as Michiko purposely misinterpreted him and refused to correct her 'mistake' (except Michiko wouldn't be Michiko if she didn't already know every Uchiha in existence) and apologise. Michiko turned her smile down to a non-threatening strain.

"It is lovely to be formally introduced to you but I'm afraid Itachi-san and I have an appointment. I wouldn't want to keep the clan head waiting so please excuse us."

Both of them made their exit in a socially-faultless manner. Michiko's smile switched to standby mode.

"Say, Itachi-san. Would you care to participate in a bet?"

"What bet?"

"The scoreboard from interactions with the Uchiha. If your scoreboard can match mine with 50% accuracy, you win. If one of your scores is 100% accurate, you win. If the wrong side wins on your scoreboard, you lose. My scoreboard is final and undebatable."

Ninja Itachi raced through the possibilities. First of all, the bet was unfair and Michiko could simply fib about her scoreboard. Secondly, there was no benefit or loss clearly associated with the bet, so the objective was probably information. But what type of information could Michiko extract from such an exercise? Insight into his psyche? But such things-

Michiko's hand came down on his shoulder.

"Stop thinking so much, little liar. What does your gut tell you?"

Itachi blinked. "My gut? I-"

Inner Itachi told him fretting was worthless. Michiko was Michiko. She would know regardless. If there was no benefit or loss, why not? Michiko was Michiko, after all. If she wanted to harm him, she would've already.

"Very well."

Michiko's smile changed into proud-parent.

"If you lose, I get exclusive rights to your hair." Michiko wouldn't want such a thing. If there were stakes, it meant that the important bit was what he would get.

"If I win?"

"If you win, I'll tell you a major Uchiha clan secret you don't know."

Both Inner and Ninja Itachi's attention were instantly snatched. So the purpose of the exercise was not for her benefit but his. A 'scoreboard' for social interactions was highly subjective. The goal was to successfully put himself into Michiko's shoes, into her mindset, and guess what she would consider a win or a loss. Not only that, Michiko was demanding his trust in her honesty as well as extending her trust to his honesty of the scoreboard. Michiko, an infuriatingly secret person who valued information, privacy and freedom, was giving him an opportunity to look into her psyche.

This was Michiko offering her enduring friendship. In a way that would upset as many Uchiha as possible.

"Then I shall accept your offer, Michiko-chan."

Ninja Itachi was strangely silent as Inner Itachi laughed maniacally.

* * *

"So how's the scoreboard looking?"

The Uchiha compound was big, but getting stopped 24 times between the gate and the main house was ridiculous. There was a surplus of people on the streets only seen during festivals and occasions. The Uchiha compound was generally quiet with people going about their business heedless to one another. But now, it was silent with fake bursts of meaningless noise. It seemed as if all Uchiha had collectively decided to settle their mundane, uncritical and outside-related chores on the same night.

Everyone's eyes were on them. Judging from the subpar quality of everyone's excuses, they knew that they knew.

"42-20, your favour."

Michiko hummed and her smile switched back to the 'no threat' mode. "Look underneath the underneath, Itachi. Now let's go face the main boss."

Itachi knocked on the door and his mother opened the door.

"Ah, you must be Itachi's teammate, Michiko-chan. Welcome to our home."

Michiko nodded. "Thank you for having me." She slipped her ninja-style wooden geta off and placed them on the shoe rack. Mikoto led them to the dining room where Sasuke was sitting, fidgeting in his small kimono and sloppy seiza position.

"Dinner will be served in five minutes. Please make yourself comfortable." Both of them sat down beside each other in seiza position with Sasuke on Itachi's right and Michiko on his left.

"Thank you." Mikoto left the room and Sasuke peered curiously at Michiko.

"Who's that?" Sasuke pointed at Michiko.

"Sasuke, this is Nara Michiko, my teammate. Michiko-chan, this is Uchiha Sasuke, my 2-year-old brother."

Sasuke's chubby face scrunched up adorably in thought. "Is teammate a friend?"

"Yes."

Sasuke gave a toothy smile. "Icha-nii is good and friends is good, so Mishio is good too!"

"Icha-nii?" questioned Michiko, amused.

"Sasuke had trouble pronouncing my name as a child and the nickname stuck."

"It'll be a cute blackmail story to tell to Sasuke-chan's future friends."

Itachi frowned. "Why?"

Michiko patted his head. "Don't worry about it. You'll find out why when you grow older."

It was then that Fugaku decided to make his appearance in full formal apparel. He donned his typical firm frown and he moved to sit at the head of the table, his seiza perfect. His kimono was done in traditional Uchiha style with the dark colours of black, grey and navy blue, made from the finest materials money could buy. Each fold was pressed impeccably and every movement made was elegantly calculated. Itachi, Mikoto and Sasuke's kimono were just as flawless and regal.

In contrast, Michiko stuck out like a sore thumb. Her kimono was undeniably cheap and the only other deviation from her usual attire was chipped lacquer chopsticks for her hair instead of senbon. They looked as if Michiko had literally taken eating chopsticks and stuffed them in her hair, but Itachi hypothesised that there was a practical application for them. Michiko was the most unhygienic person Itachi had ever met and she usually only bothered bathing at night or once every three days if she wasn't particularly dirty. Most of the time, she reeked of sweat, blood and dirt and she'd maybe wash her hands before eating. But she had decided to clean up and her simple bun was neat instead of falling apart. Her skin and nails while rough, were free of blood and dirt. It was a small change, but Itachi had a double take at seeing her actually clean and somewhat presentable. Michiko looked as fine as she'd ever been but she still paled in comparison to the Uchiha beauty.

Michiko geared her smile up to confrontation mode. "I've been wanting to meet Itachi's father. It is nice to finally meet you."

Fugaku nodded. "The sentiment is reciprocated. My son speaks highly of you."

"I'm afraid neither of us mentions our clans much, but Itachi's skills speak for themselves. May I presume you've trained him personally?"

"Of course, such is tradition. I've heard of your skills as well. It seems as if the Nara have stepped up their game."

"I thank you for the kind compliment. But my main asset is my intelligence and I must say Itachi is no slouch in that department. In terms of overall value, most would say your son comes out on top as he excels in all three major jutsu categories."

"In the ninja world, results are most important. My son claims to have lost thrice to you."

"And he has won 27 times. Itachi's skills are truly admirable. Despite being his teammate for over six months, I was only able to achieve a favourable winning chance after 25 spars."

"Our chuunin have been unable to defeat my son. The Nara's shadow mind is formidable."

Michiko's smile dropped down to her most neutrally pleasant smile that was actually a trap. "Yes, it is indeed."

Itachi mentally added one point to Michiko. During their spars, Michiko had never activated her shadow mind.

Mikoto chose this moment to appear with the appetiser. She gracefully placed the colourful ceremonial plates in front of everyone before sliding seamlessly into seiza.

"This looks splendid. Did you cook this?"

Mikoto smiled softly. "Yes. It's fried sweet potato." Uchiha women were expected to do all the chores as Uchiha didn't like outsiders in their homes. It was frowned upon for Uchiha males to help. Some even viewed it as insulting to the woman as it implied that she was incapable of doing her duties. As the wife of the clan head, Mikoto was expected to perform her duties flawlessly as well as perform tea ceremonies and cook colourful and elaborate meals.

Everyone said the customary 'itadakimasu' and picked up their chopsticks. Both Ninja and Inner Itachi cringed in unison (inwardly, of course) at the way Michiko handled her chopsticks.

Michiko wasn't a 'refined young lady' by any means. She ate with her hands, prepared raw meat with a kunai then wiped the blood off her hands onto her apron skirt. Itachi had never even seen her use a proper kitchen knife or utensils. In spite of the mouthwatering flavours she brought to the table, Itachi had often wondered why they hadn't gotten food poisoning yet despite multiple protective seals and reassurances. So it didn't surprise Itachi when instead of the typical elegant and polished manner, Michiko wielded her chopsticks like weapons. In one swift movement, she picked up the chopsticks, twirled them into position, lightly stabbed the sweet potato, tore it to pieces gently, picked it up delicately and popped it into her mouth. Itachi was reminded of the times Michiko used her senbon in cooking.

All Uchiha stared (which, other than Sasuke, meant their eyes lingered over her chopsticks for 0.5 seconds before returning to their meals) and Itachi had no doubt Michiko noticed it. It wasn't as if her style was disrespectful or unsightly, quite the opposite. But the deadly grace of the manoeuvre was never seen in formal events. And in social terms, particularly the Uchiha interpretation, unusual meant being rude and disrespectful without _technically_ being rude or disrespectful.

2-0, Michiko.

"The appetiser is truly a treat. Your husband and sons are fortunate to have you in the household."

"Thank you, but I still have ways to go. There are many women in the clan who can do better."

"I'm afraid that I've only been acquainted with 30 Uchiha thus far, most men, but I've been around the Akimichi clan. I'm sure an Akimichi friend of mine would be interested in your cuisine. Perhaps the two of you could share some knowledge."

Itachi could feel Fugaku's attention sharpen. "The Uchiha have always gotten along well with the Akimichi. May I ask for a name?" By getting along, Fugaku meant that there have been no major fallouts. The Uchiha didn't really 'get along' with anyone.

"Akimichi Takumi."

"I can't claim to know him personally, but his reputation precedes him." Itachi didn't know who Akimichi Takumi was, so he wasn't politically important, a prominent ninja or very influential. For Fugaku to know him, he probably had an unfavourable reputation and social standing in the eyes of the Uchiha. It was a jab at Michiko's associates and bloodline. 2-1.

"Yes, indeed. Takumi is a talented young man."

Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Forgive my doubts, but I've heard much the contrary."

Michiko's smile switched briefly to trap mode and back. "I've heard he's approaching his first billion." A trap, giving him a false opening and then exposing his ignorance and prejudice. 3-0, Fugaku's point negligible as it was a trap.

"A businessman, then. I'm afraid I don't pay much attention to civilian matters." Insult at Michiko's common birth and civilian mother. But seeing as Michiko's smile had returned to stunningly neutral, it was probably another trap so Itachi withheld the point temporarily.

"Ah, Takumi deals with ninja weapons and supplies such as food pills and exploding tags. He is also a major exporter of agricultural products and essential ninja materials such as chakra cloth and chakra metal. No Nara, Yamanaka or Akimichi hasn't heard of his name."

The implication that _he_ , the clan head of the Uchiha, was inferior to her, a fringe member of the Nara? Ninja Itachi kept his silence as Inner Itachi crackled loudly. 4-0, though he was tempted to give Michiko extra points.

There was a stunned silence. Fugaku stared down at Michiko disbelievingly.

"Mama! I'm finished!" Sasuke saved the day with his bright grin.

Mikoto smiled kindly. "Shall I bring in the second course?"

Fugaku nodded and Mikoto cleared the dishes. There was a short silence before Fugaku seemed to make a decision.

"And someone like you could get Akimichi Takumi's attention?" Itachi was confused. That was way too straightforward for such a conversation and the phrasing was something Fugaku only used on Sasuke or anyone he deemed to be on Sasuke's skill level. What was he doing?

"We go back a long way."

"Well, Michiko-chan, feelings and business have no place together. A successful businessman such as Akimichi Takumi, while a civilian, is in a completely different world. You are a Konoha kunoichi now and the teammate of my son. It is best to let go."

No. _No. No **way**._ Fugaku openly looked down at Michiko with muted disgust. Fugaku was lecturing Michiko as he would an ignorant child. Fugaku was _denying the insult existed_ because, in his mind, there was no way _**someone like Michiko**_ would dare say that.

This wasn't some elaborate insult. Fugaku was plainly dismissing Michiko over pride and prejudice.

The discomforting dissonance faded as for the first time that night, Ninja and Inner Itachi were united in their slack-jaws and absolute incredulity.

Mikoto arrived with the second dish and Itachi glanced at Michiko.

It was a perfectly natural and sickeningly sweet smile. The deadly smile that only appeared after checkmate.

* * *

"The dinner was lovely. I have only felicitations for the chef and the host." Phrasing could mean the special occasion was Fugaku's defeat. 256-0.

Fugaku nodded. "Of course. The Uchiha only accept the best."

Michiko's smile stayed at 'no threat' mode. After the appetiser, her smile had wavered between the 'trap' and 'no threat' modes, the austere 'confrontation' and 'death' modes were nowhere to be seen. "Of course. Would you mind if I have your son escort me home?"

"Of course not."

Michiko bowed acceptably. "Then let us leave, Itachi."

Itachi nodded as the two of them headed off. The last two hours had been mind-numbingly exhausting as he had spent most of it in denial. The shock at Fugaku's actions had yet to wear off. Over the various courses, Michiko had made hundreds of unacknowledged jabs while simultaneously playing the book-smart and naive peasant girl. And _every single one_ of those jabs revealed an endless amount of Fugaku's flaws. His prejudice, his arrogance, his ignorance, his negligence, his apathy, his _burning hate_. The list went on and Itachi had just sat there, drawing further into his mind as both Ninja and Inner Itachi sat in stoic silence. Itachi had always known his father was flawed and short-sighted, that he held many biases and prejudices, but his father was a respected jounin. Surely it couldn't be that bad. But it was only then that Inner Itachi truly realised just how blind Fugaku was. It was only then that Ninja Itachi finally saw his master as one unworthy of serving.

That night, Itachi lost his childlike respect and duty-bound obedience to Fugaku.

Was this what Michiko's plan really was? What was her true objective? What did she stand to gain? Was the trust he felt in her just an illusion she created? Was the offer of friendship just his imagination?

Or maybe… maybe this was Michiko's friendship.

 _"I will become clan head."_

 _"And that's going to make you happy?"_

 _"I would imagine so."_

 _"You are Uchiha Fugaku's son, clan heir and subordinate. According to most, you are his inferior and cannot raise a hand against him. But I see you, and your eyes are clearer than most. Yet your eyes have yet to blow away that last veil of mist. Return and take a good look. Listen to what is underneath the underneath. There are always loophole and loopholes are meant to be exploited."_

 _"Many may see you as privileged and vie for your status, but you are bound too tightly to your titles. Having a path laid out for you doesn't mean you have to follow it, little liar."_

All this time, _all this time_ , Michiko had been trying to free him. She had seen through him as though he were transparent as air. She knew she didn't have the physical power, the political power to cut his chains loose, but she knew how to sever the chains wrapped around his mind, heart and soul.

But glancing at Michiko's picture perfect smile, Itachi realised that wasn't quite right. Michiko hadn't been trying to free him. One of Michiko's core principles was freedom of choice and she was amazingly stubborn in her principles and morals. If he stuck loyally to his clan, to their values, Michiko would accept it. No, Michiko had simply been making him _see_. Just making him aware of the chains, the manipulations and the thousand and one flaws surrounding his clan, his family, his life. In the end, it was he himself, Uchiha Itachi, who had decided to break free of his own volition.

"Thank you." Itachi blurted out on impulse as they walked through a deserted street.

Michiko nodded, her smile having vanished when they were far enough from the Uchiha.

"What are you going to do now?"

Stunned, Itachi stopped in his tracks. His entire life was built around service, duty and obligation. He was Ninja, a tool that followed his master's orders. Shisui had always said he was too much Ninja, too little human and in a way, he had been right. Ninja was him and he couldn't live without it. He had to have something, someone to follow or he had no purpose and a tool with no purpose was a discarded tool. He had broken free, but that meant that his life, short as it was, came crashing down without the chains.

Without a purpose or a master, Ninja Itachi would vanish, taking the identity of Uchiha Itachi along with it.

"What do you want to do now?" He had nothing but a vague dream of peace to work towards to, but Itachi had long since accepted the impossibility of the dream. No matter how hard he trained, there will be death, there will be loss, there will be war. He was a tool. A visionless person that followed those who could see the future. And there was no one crazy enough to believe in world peace, much less see a solution.

Michiko placed her hand on his head.

"Itachi, what do you _want_?" Itachi floundered for a moment because no one ever asked him what he _wanted_.

"I… I want peace." Inner Itachi panicked when Ninja Itachi didn't even remind him how ridiculous and childish that sounded. Ninja Itachi was fading.

"For what reason?"

"I…" The blood, the corpses and the terror of war flashed through his mind. One day, he had looked down to see that sweet, chubby little face and thought:

 _No. Never._

"Sasuke. The chains to the clan, to the village, to my family, I can forsake. But I will never abandon Sasuke."

"I can guarantee peace." Itachi's eyes widened impossibly.

"What?!"

"It won't be easy. Many will die, there will be war. But your brother will live even if your clan wouldn't. Within your lifetime, you will see the five elemental nations unite under one banner. A five-way treaty will be created. You will see Konoha ninja getting married to Suna, Kumo, Kiri, even Iwa nin. Prosperity will be a common word, technology and healthcare will experience a boom like never before. All this will happen. _I will make it happen_. Are you with me?"

Had Michiko asked him this two hours ago, he would have dismissed this as ridiculous. Sure, Michiko was smart, but the Nara weren't that formidable. Otherwise, world peace would've been achieved along time ago. Natural Shadow Mind users weren't all that rare.

But Ninja Itachi, the skeptical analyst, was out of commission and only Inner Itachi, the gut instinct, was left. And his gut told him that the way Michiko looked at him, with utter conviction and unwavering resolution, was the way to go.

He was a visionless tool with a crazy dream of peace. And there was one person, just one, right before him who was insane and brilliant enough to use him to achieve that. The one person that had a shot at achieving world peace.

As a tool, his will was his master's. And as a tool, his only freedom was choosing his master. The moment he pledged loyalty, there would be no going back.

"I would like some time to think this over."

Michiko nodded. "You have a week. Don't tell anyone."

"I understand."

Michiko walked off and Itachi knew not to follow.

* * *

Itachi spent the week in silence as he observed the world around him. He woke up everyday and headed down stairs to a smiling mother and an absent father. Mikoto would set down a nutritious and delicious breakfast before enquiring about his mission and other general matters. She would offer her help and advice when she could and listened patiently to any problems. Occasionally, she would stare out of the windows longingly while she sharpened Itachi and Fugaku's weapons, but most days, she mustered up the courage to be happy.

Itachi would then be greeted by adorable little Sasuke, rubbing his eyes and pouting as he vied for Itachi's attention. When his father was there, he would constantly bug Fugaku, but he was always rebuked. Desperate, Sasuke never gave up even when standing under his mother's smiling face. Sasuke never looked up and he mostly ignored Mikoto's gentle words.

After placating Sasuke, Itachi left for training or for missions where he would be shunned by Akio and warmly welcomed by Michiko. Seishiro favoured Michiko and his lessons for Itachi mostly boiled down to a small lecture followed by a couple demonstrations before mostly leaving Itachi alone. Seishiro's lessons for Michiko were in a similar style but with less talking and more hands on instructions. Majority of their training session involved Seishiro and Akio arguing until Michiko stepped in to smooth things over. Akio learned more from Michiko than Seishiro and no one seemed to care about that.

Every single lunch was another demonstration of Michiko's cooking skills and she never seemed to run out of bizarre foods: 'pasta', 'burger', 'burrito', 'pizza', 'donut' and even 'escargot' which was snails of all things. She once mentioned potentially starting a food chain and they all agreed that it would be profitable. Especially if she had the support of the Akimichi.

They usually took a pointless mission or two during the evening. There was no real benefit and genin teams didn't have a quota but Michiko and Akio seemed to like the money. Akio would whine and complain and Michiko would lightly chastise him, taking every opportunity to impart life lessons and strengthen their bond. As the days passed, Akio's guard was chipped away and he stuck close to Michiko as she fed him affection.

They would report back and on rare occasions, the Hokage would be there. He would look upon them with a grandfatherly smile as he praised them and subtly point out their mistakes. Akio would miss soft rebukes and Michiko stood with a fixed smile. There was a tension between her and the Hokage that was neither friendly nor hostile.

Itachi would return home to the same scene as his mother served dinner with a smile. His father would be present more often at dinner and everyone sat a little straighter. Mikoto would ask him about his day and Fugaku would give a vague description. They ate in silence with Sasuke occasionally attempting to pierce through the quiet. His efforts were quickly thwarted and slowly but surely, Sasuke interrupted less and smiled less.

Itachi would retire quickly after Fugaku left the table. For the past week, he had stared at the ceiling as he laid in bed contemplating. What was the point of this all? Was he really progressing? After Michiko had pointed it out, it became increasingly hard to stand the slowness of everyday life. He could only see the things that hindered him. The pointless missions, the dragged out meetings and all the clan traditions. Itachi had always viewed these as important and necessary, but now he wasn't so sure. Traditions were important but shouldn't he be training more? Meetings were important but wasn't there much more efficient ways to go about doing so? Missions were important but what was the point in doing them for the sake of doing them?

Efficiency above all else. It was a motto Itachi wished he could follow.

Itachi had always viewed himself as lucky. He had food, a roof over his head, a mostly functional family and many luxuries the common man could never hope to afford. Being around Michiko and Akio had, at first, cemented that impression. But as time wore on, Itachi begun to realise the downsides to his luxuries. In exchange for wealth, Itachi had forsaken privacy. In exchange for noble birth, Itachi had forsaken freedom. In exchange for strength, Itachi had forsaken bonds. Itachi had known all of these downsides before Michiko appeared in his life, but had dismissed them as unnecessary. It was only now that he truly realised what he had been missing. It made Itachi wonder just how much of his views were actually his clan's views. Just how much of him was shaped by birth rather than thought.

It made him think. It made him reevaluate everything. He stood to gain a shot at world peace if he joined Michiko. And what were the risks? Michiko might turn out to be incapable. She might turn out to be untrustworthy. She might betray him. And what did he stand to lose? Perhaps a few years of his life, but Itachi had no doubt serving Michiko would be a learning experience if nothing else.

Were there any other routes to be taken? He could continue on as a loyal Konoha ninja. As his duties dictated. As society dictated. But would that truly achieve peace? Was the straight path really that honourable and righteous? After much thought, Itachi came to the conclusion that while that path wasn't dishonourable by any means, he was only following that path because of his clan and his village. Because of his birth. Konoha was heavily weighed down by tradition and bureaucracy. Its strength came from the diversity of its clans and in attempting to accommodate hundreds of wildly different customs, the leadership was slow and split between conquerors and peacemakers with powerful extremists on both ends. Following Konoha wasn't the most efficient or the best path to peace.

What about following the Uchiha way? Just the thought of it made Itachi laugh. No, the Uchiha were conquerors through and through, not peacemakers. Not only were they shortsighted and full of hate, but they insisted on following the five-hundred-year-old Uchiha handbook down to the letter. They haven't seemed to realise that times have changed and that they needed to adapt or face extinction.

Itachi weighed all the choices before him everyday and everyday he came to the same conclusion. He smiled. In typical Michiko style, she had given him the illusion of choice while ensuring that the only real option was the one that benefitted her the most.

On the seventh day, Itachi got down on one knee and laid his faith before Michiko. "If swearing fealty to you will help achieve peace, then it is a negligible price."

And Michiko smiled. A pure cheshire grin, wild and ferocious with a touch of insanity. Before, a tiny glimpse had sent him cowering in the recesses of his mind. But now, Itachi was calmed, even enlightened by the insanity lingering behind the illusionary smiles.

Sanity was just another name for normality, after all. While Ninja Itachi cowered in terror, Michiko's special brand of insanity came as no surprise to Inner Itachi.


	6. Debt I

Ever since Ninja Itachi switched loyalties, his life had gotten infinitely more complicated.

It was now hard to sit at clan meetings or attend clan training sessions when he could clearly see the hypocrisy and propaganda seeping through every move. He now joined the Uchiha training sessions for tokujou instead of chuunin and half of the sessions were spent hammering in the greatness and superiority of the Uchiha clan as well as deriding other clans. But he knew he had to act normal or the clan would attempt to tighten their chains on him.

"Team 11, your mission is to deliver this scroll to the eastern outpost. Further details are contained within the mission scroll."

The mission desk chuunin held up the scroll. Seishiro stepped forward to accept it.

"Mission received. Team 11 shall move out in the two days." The team exited the tower.

"We meet at the front gate at 5am the day after tomorrow. You have a lunch break. Meet at 4pm in training ground 37." announced Seishiro before vanishing.

Ever since Akio had toned down his aggressiveness, Seishiro's friendly veneer had faded to reveal an austere and strict visage. As per Michiko's silent request, Seishiro had left Akio to her and it seemed as if she was right. Seishiro was a superb ninja and trainer, but he expected the basics to be ingrained thoroughly, making him unsuited for training genin. Out of the three, only Itachi truly benefited from his training. Akio couldn't understand Seishiro's instructions and Seishiro didn't know how to simplify it for him. This made training sessions very frustrating, but ever since Michiko stepped in to 'translate', Akio was improving acceptably.

"Want to go grab lunch together? I'll pay." asked Akio. The offer was obviously only extended to Michiko. True to his word, Akio didn't actively antagonise him, but he had taken to ignoring his existence.

Michiko smiled. "No problem, then. I'll see you at 2, Itachi."

Itachi nodded in reply. Despite not having made prior arrangements, Itachi knew what she meant. He quickly roof-hopped home and his mother and brother greeted him at the door.

"Welcome back, Itachi."

"Welcome back, Icha-nii!" Itachi scooped up Sasuke.

"I'm home, Sasuke, mother. I have something at 2."

Sasuke pouted. "You're leaving?"

"Yes, I have a short mission tomorrow. I need to train to become a strong ninja, don't I?"

Sasuke's face screwed in childish determination. "I'll be cool and strong like Icha-nii! Then we can be together!"

Itachi smiled down at him and ruffled hair. "Maybe someday, Sasuke."

"Itachi." Itachi looked up and to his surprise, his father was home.

"Father."

"I need to talk to you."

Fugaku headed to his study with Itachi following behind. He sat behind his desk while Itachi remained standing in front of him.

"As you are aware, the Uchiha council is displeased with your current situation."

An understatement. Due to his age, Itachi had been forbidden from taking the chuunin exams and the Uchiha clan resented the Sandaime's softness. Fugaku and the clan elders were still bitter over Michiko and he faced derision every time the council convened for his inability to defeat Michiko and his refusal to contest her leadership.

"But we have been able to… negotiate with the Hokage. You'll be allowed to take the exam at eight instead of twelve, but only with the Nara girl and Akio boy." Fugaku still insisted on calling Michiko the 'Nara girl' and refused to address her by name. Both Ninja and Inner Itachi found it grating.

"Understood."

Fugaku frowned at him. "Shikaku was insistent on the Nara girl being on the team. The Nara girl is smart, but you are clearly superior to her. You are the rightful captain, so why do you refuse to contest her leadership?" It was the same topic, the same argument and the same question so Itachi would provide the same answer.

"As you know, different ninja are suited for different fields. The Inuzuka are superior in tracking, the Yamanaka in interrogation and the Kurama in genjutsu. The same logic applies here. The Nara are superior in strategy while the Uchiha are superior in direct combat. Since the purpose of a genin team is to prepare for our eventual roles, it makes the most sense to have Michiko-chan as the strategist."

"That may be so, but you are expected to become the Uchiha clan head and commissioner of the Konoha Military Police Force. The Nara girl might reach tokujou, but her type retires quickly for marriage." Of course Fugaku would think his training was more important than anyone else's. It went to show what Fugaku knew about Michiko.

"Michiko-chan is a very unique type of girl. I won't classify her so easily."

Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how would you classify her?" Finally. Took him long enough to ask for his opinion.

"I don't believe there is a category that quite fits her, but if I have to classify her, I would put her in the same category as Mitarashi Anko, Inuzuka Tsume or Senju Tsunade."

Fugaku grimaced and Itachi didn't blame him. The three women were renowned for their strong characters, bizarre antics and domineering attitudes. Even though Inuzuka Tsume did try, there was a reason why all of them were single. There weren't many men insane, reckless or strong enough to court them. They were all capable kunoichi and if they were male, their peculiarities would be excused in light of their achievements. But men like Fugaku, who expected women to be sweet, caring and docile, looked down on them. Itachi was pretty sure that there was a correlation between the strength of a ninja and their eccentricities but some people expected women to be weak and therefore soft and unassuming.

"She seemed fairly normal when she came over."

"Michiko-chan prefers to keep her eccentricities private. But what I can say is that she is stubborn beyond measure and has no interest in marriage."

"She would defy her clan?" In the Uchiha clan, if the clan head so much as implied something to be done, it would be accomplished as swiftly as possible. Not obeying those of higher social status was unthinkable in Uchiha society. It was assumed that everyone was vying for higher status because pretty much everyone was.

"The Nara clan is much more laidback when it comes to bloodline preservation. Unlike the Uchiha, the clan head cannot arrange marriages if both parties do not consent. Even if it were law, I don't believe the clan head would pressure Michiko-chan. It would be unwise as if he decided to, I am certain Michiko-chan would sooner become a nuke-nin then marry someone against her will."

"Someone so foolish will not come to power. You will be a great asset to the clan and wield great responsibility. She may be the current best choice, but ultimately, you would benefit the most from this and surpass her." By now, it was clear that Fugaku was beginning to sense something wrong. That wouldn't do.

"My personal opinion does not matter. Arakida-sensei has determined it so." The boys had acknowledged her as leader before Seishiro officialized it, but Fugaku didn't need to know that.

"I shall have a talk with your teacher."

"Arakida-sensei is a very pragmatic person. Convincing him that the decision would have long-term benefits to the village would be an ideal approach." It won't end well. Right from the get-go, Seishiro made it clear he despised clan politics and wouldn't take any 'clan superiority nonsense' from any of them. Judging by the conversation, it was obvious Fugaku's main argument would be his importance over his teammates rather than his abilities. Itachi was just giving Fugaku enough information to get him off his back.

"Very well. You are dismissed." Itachi walked out of the study and down to the living area. Mikoto smiled at him.

"Do you have time for lunch, Itachi? I prepared extra just in case." Itachi nodded.

"I have half an hour." Mikoto disappeared into the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Itachi opened the door and was met with a blindingly bright smile.

"Shisui-sama is here to grace you with his presence! All shall bow before his greatness!"

Itachi gave a little smile. "Shisui."

Shisui ruffled Itachi's hair and laughed as Itachi rushed to fix it. "I bring tidings of the Red Army! Our spy reports that intel of your presence has been leaked and the enemy is preparing to launch an attack on our stronghold."

Itachi grimaced. While he complained about the fangirls in the academy, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Most liked him just because it was trendy and it was mostly innocent crushes with no malicious or ulterior motives. Sure, they formed the 'Official Itachi Fanclub', stalked him every time he was in the village and left him glittery, pungent-smelling heart-shaped cards, but they were just minor annoyances.

Now, _Uchiha_ fangirls were in a completely different league. Uchiha fangirls didn't have a Fanclub, they had an _army_ with platoons, captains, commanders and a code of conduct to follow. Uchiha fangirls didn't offer him homemade bento while trying to get as close to him as possible, they offered him sedative and aphrodisiac-laced luxury sweets while trying to subtly molest him. Uchiha fangirls didn't yell at or beat each other up over him. No, as long as they could get closer to him, maiming, psychological torture, blackmail, destroying another's social status, poisoning, arson, lynching and permanent disfigurement were completely acceptable methods.

They were _vicious_. Because to them, it wasn't about a silly crush. If they could secure the Uchiha heir's affections, they were set for life. Their family never have to worry about finances, social status or even the law because Uchiha were wealthy, of noble blood and they were the police. All the things the academy girls liked about him; his looks, his talent, his demeanour… they were merely bonuses. In the end, what they wanted was not the ring on their finger but what said ring got them.

The other girls may outnumber the Uchiha girls 10 to 1, but in a showdown between the Official Itachi Fanclub and the Red Army, there was no contest.

"What else did Izumi-chan say?"

"Our spy reports that platoon 4 plans to launch a coordinated attack in approximately ten minutes. They plan to secure an alliance with Mikoto-sama and capture Sasuke-chan. Enemy artillery includes spiked dango, Class B Kunoichi Seduction Makeup and gaseous emotionalisation drugs." May the gods bless Izumi. Platoon 4 was the most unethical out of all the platoons and Itachi would be eternally grateful to Izumi for the intel.

"Itachi, I packed the food into a bento box. You can eat at the training ground." Both Ninja and Inner Itachi breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, Izumi was his second favourite female, but his mother would always be the number one woman in his life.

"Thank you, Mother. I shall take my leave."

"You're leaving again?" Itachi looked down to see Sasuke.

"Yes. I'm going to train with Shisui."

"Can I come?"

Itachi poked his forehead. Sasuke scowled. "Sorry, maybe next time."

Before Sasuke could reply, Itachi took the bento from his mother and Shisui and Itachi took off.

"Where are we training?"

"Training ground 35."

"Isn't that a private Nara training ground?"

"Nara Shikaku-sama has given Michiko-chan exclusive use of training ground 35 and Michiko-chan has allowed me to use it when she isn't."

Shisui gave a teasing smile. "So it's Michiko-chan now? Have I been away for too long? She must've impressed Shikaku if she's allowed a private clan training ground despite her blood status." Generally, only main house members or valuable ninja were allowed private training grounds. Itachi had one in the Uchiha compound and so did Shisui. Other clanless ninja like Maito Gai and Mitarashi Anko were issued training grounds due to their secret jutsu, destructive tendencies and service to the village.

"Her main weapon is intelligence, but her second and third weapons are the Nara's shadow jutsu and fuuinjutsu. The latter is very volatile so she requires a large, open area in case something goes wrong."

"I think I'll stick around so I can finally meet your missy. When's she coming?"

"2. Team training starts at 4."

They arrived at the Nara compound and were quickly allowed through. Itachi led Shisui to the Nara forests as training ground 35 was a very secluded training ground for obvious reasons. As they burst into the clearing, to Itachi's surprise, Michiko was already there… and concentrating on what looked like a very complicated, very volatile and very, _very_ expensive piece of fuuinjutsu that was spread across half of the huge training ground.

Itachi moved to turn back when Shisui opened his big, fat mouth.

"Aloha, my most esteemed comrade! I am Shi-"

"Shisui, no-"

Michiko's concentration broke and the delicate lines of chakra connecting the equally finicky ink snapped. Unstable chakra shifted and swirled around, switching colours every half second and sending out shockwaves. Grabbing Shisui, he dashed as far from the site as he could, managing to reach the edge of the forest just in time.

 **BOOM!**

The earth shook with the force of the explosion as the sky started raining flaming pieces of debris in all the colours of the rainbow and every shade in between. A violet flaming piece of wood smashed into a tree and everything within a meter wilted. Luckily, shadows shot out from the treeline and formed a large seal. Some sort of special water started raining from the seal and the debris became relatively harmless. Itachi caught a glimpse of the kage bunshin's smile as it vanished.

It was a cutesy smile, dedicated to open battles where there were no holds were barred. More specifically, it was the 'I am just a little mad at you so I'll settle for ruining your life for the next decade instead of killing you' version.

"Don't worry, Shisui. I'll write an eulogy for you."

* * *

Shisui stared at the huge seal hanging in the air as it dissipated. Damn, the Nara girl was one crazy gal. Shisui didn't know much about seals, but even he could tell that must have been a bizarre one. A quick glance around confirmed his suspicions. Not a single Nara, child or elder, seemed concerned, worried or surprised by the pseudo rainbow fireworks.

"Don't worry, Shisui. I'll make sure to write an eulogy for you."

Shisui blinked. "Aww, come on. It can't be that bad."

Itachi looked at him very seriously. Not that he didn't always, but like _extra_ seriously. "The seal you disrupted was dangerous enough for Michiko-chan to use a kage bunshin. Judging by the scale and delicacy of the seal, the materials could cost around one million ryo."

"One million ryo? That's like… three months worth of missions!"

"That's just the materials. Michiko-chan has probably been working on this for months and it is likely an original piece. Nara laws pertaining to the destruction of invaluable knowledge are harsh and destruction of a priceless piece of Nara intellectual property means you could be fined up to 30 million ryo. Adding the fact that the seal was probably funded out of the clan head's pockets, you can expect to pay at least 25 million ryou."

"25 million?! I only have 15 million in the bank! I'd need at least a year to get the rest!"

In the civilian world, intellectual property laws were taken with a pinch of salt, but the ninja interpretation was vastly different. Unlike civilians who only counted ideas and the intangible as intellectual property, ninja counted intricate stuff like seals where the users couldn't remember every detail they put down. Destroying super valuable scrolls and pieces of work was taboo since it could tip the village to victory in war so everyone took destroying intellectual property very, very seriously because knowledge was worth more than life. The Nara were at the top of the Uchiha's do-not-copy list so Shisui actually thought 25 million was a modest estimate.

"I'm fairly certain Michiko-chan is steaming with fury right now. You can expect a 20% interest rate on the money you can't pay."

"20%?!"

"If you get the clan help, maybe you could get it to 10%, but I doubt it."

Shisui pleaded with puppy dog eyes. "Can't you like, negotiate with her for me? Please? I don't wanna spend the next three years on back to back S-rank missions. I could die! You don't want your precious cousin to die, right? Plus I didn't _technically_ damage anything!"

Itachi's reciprocal look was deadpan. "You can try explaining that to the Nara Council. Being an ANBU means you _should_ have enough common sense not to disrupt delicate fuuinjutsu rituals. When Michiko-chan decides to do something, nothing can stop her. Negotiation won't end well for me."

Shisui gaped. "You're abandoning me? What kind of friend are you!"

"The kind that likes living."

"She can't be _that_ scary. She's just an eleven-year-old girl." Itachi's look deepened to a frown. "You know I didn't mean you, you're a genius. You're an exception to pretty much everything."

"Michiko-chan can be very exceptional."

"So can I! Don't worry, your dearest cousin can handle everything!"

"Weren't you begging for my help ten seconds ago?"

"I wasn't begging! I was politely requesting your valued support for my righteous cause. It was just the shock of the moment, I don't really need help."

Itachi's not-really-but-still-fairly deadpan look told Shisui he was rolling his eyes internally. "If you say so."

"What's with the sour attitude? Have more faith in the miracle that is Uchiha Shisui!"

"Michiko-chan is going to be upset with me. I suggest you take your leave and make yourself scarce for the next few weeks."

With that, his baby cousin left, leaving Shisui gaping at him.

Itachi was the most cynical seven-year-old that Shisui had ever met and Shisui was a frontliner in the Konoha-Kiri wars. Being the Uchiha clan heir and a staunch pacifist meant that his loyalty to his clan and the Uchiha was absolute. It was impossible yet… yet Shisui's instincts told him that had changed. Itachi _believed_ in the Nara girl.

In a few short months, Itachi had become more loyal to the Nara girl than his own kinsmen.

So Shisui put on a buoyant smile and strolled out of the Nara compound, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head when Shikaku gave him the Nara rendition of a glare. He whistled obnoxiously, picking up dango along the way while flirting with that pretty waitress who blushed chastely at his advances. He waved cheerily at the Uchiha gate guards who nodded with disdainful acknowledgement at his odd enthusiasm.

Uchiha Shisui entered his one-bedroom apartment and his liveliness turned sinister.

He was Shisui of the Body Flicker, family of Itachi and loyal ninja of Konoha. He didn't know who Nara Michiko was or what she did to his cousin, but he would hunt her down, strip her of her secrets and make sure she never laid a finger on his family.

Nothing has ever escaped his eyes.


	7. Debt II

The next high noon found Nara Michiko pondering over the latest Uchiha-Nara development as she idly drafted a cute little letter. She sat casually on a wooden chair under a wide tree in her private training ground, her body language open and unguarded as her shadows snaked around the grounds, healing the damage from the previous day. For once, she was somewhat dolled up, having just come back from a formal meeting with some VIPs. Her body was relatively dirt-free and her clothing, while cheap and pragmatic, had no holes or mysterious substances on them. To the common ninja, she might've seemed relaxed or even serene. But every Nara knew not to intrude on her kilometer of personal space during brooding period. Speaking of the devil…

"Not experimenting with wacky seals this time, I see."

"To whom do I owe the pleasure?" Of course, she already knew who he was. She knew every Uchiha by profile as well as every entry in every edition of the bingo book.

Shisui flashed a radiant smile and bowed low. "Uchiha Shisui at your service, m'lady."

"Itachi speaks highly of you."

"I am honoured my baby cousin thought to mention me. Itachi think highly of you too."

Michiko's lip quirked. "An honour indeed. What business could the eminent Uchiha Shisui of the Body Flicker have with me?"

Shisui winked. "Oh, I just wanted to check out this cute girl Itachi really likes. For future reference, if you catch my drift." Half-truth. It was likely much more serious than he made it out to be. Not to mention he directly owed her at least 20 million ryo in damages.

Michiko sighed. "Troublesome."

"You're weird. Not like Itachi-level weird, but like chuunin-level weird. Most girls would jump at the opportunity." An attempt to scope out her personality and gain favour.

"I'm fairly certain Itachi's top friendship-qualification criteria would involve not being a fangirl."

Shisui grinned. "And not being an enemy ninja." So those were his suspicions? No, it was too forward and the claim was outrageous. It was a diversion to make her think that was his suspicions. Shisui seemed to favour half-truths, so it might be something along those lines. The only thing Michiko could think about was Itachi. Could he have noticed Itachi's change in behaviour? Michiko wouldn't put it past him.

"I'd have thought that to be ninja common sense."

"Yeah, but peacetime generations kinda suck at that. I mean, not you. You seem a little different."

"Quite the gentleman, I see. That's the nicest way anyone's ever called me weird."

Shisui laughed. "And I think that's the first time anyone's ever called me a gentleman. If that's the case, would m'lady honour me with her presence by allowing me to accompany her for lunch on this very fine day?"

Michiko smiled. "I don't see any ladies around, but I hope I am a sufficient replacement."

Michiko held her hand out daintily and Shisui grasped it, helping her up. He then bowed jokingly and kissed her hand gently. "Thou art finer than any lady I have regarded."

"I thank thee, kind sir, for thy generous compliment. Shall we be on our way?"

Both of them flashed faultlessly fraudulent smiles as the battle begun.

* * *

The restaurant was the best non-Akimichi one there was. Shisui had booked a private room for the occasion and the room was clearly designed for paranoid ninja as it was plastered with security barriers and privacy seals, some of it disguised as paintings or designs. The room had fake brown bricks as wallpaper to hide the sealing work beneath and the flooring was made of Hashira, the strongest and most chakra conductive wood in the world. The sliding door was deceptively thin and well-oiled. It was furnished with pure white leather chairs, a dark and heavy rectangular wooden table and a small fireplace that was lit with chakra.

"I hope that you are aware of the limits of my pockets." Michiko stated.

"But of course, m'lady. I called you out. It is only right that I pay for the meal." In such a high-class restaurant, Shisui had had to change out of his casual combat attire into his formal kimono. He had actually bought an amazing kimono and makeup for Michiko to weasel himself into her graces.

She had already had some makeup on and a cheap kimono, but with the top quality, luxury products, Michiko was completely transformed. Her hair was smooth and shone with a thousand hair products, done in an elegant bohemian bun and adorned with a crystal hair pin. Her face was caked with creams and powders that gave her a flawlessly white complexion and her lips were stained a blood red. The kimono hid her endomorphic build and made her look slender. Not that there was anything wrong, but kunoichi with that sort of build weren't as well-liked. While most men (Shisui included) preferred a large bust and curvaceous figure, ninja breeding meant that many clan women had small breasts that didn't obstruct fighting and wide hips to facilitate childbirth.

With her now (seemingly) silky black hair, (not really) perfect white skin and (apparent) kunoichi build, she looked like she could be a candidate for the Uchiha matriarchal status. Even though Shisui had seen it countless times with his many kunoichi colleagues, the magic of makeup never ceased to astound him.

They were seated swiftly and waited for their food. There was only one menu in the restaurant, so there wasn't much way of choice. Shisui had done what he could to research the foods she liked, but he had come up blank as pretty much all her food choices were based on logic. Even questioning Itachi yielded nothing but Michiko's motto of 'Efficiency above all else.' Seriously, was this girl some sort of alien robot? Even ANBU had discernible food preferences.

"You look absolutely beautiful, m'lady! Not that you didn't before, but I didn't think you would be a wizard with makeup. No offence, but you just don't seem to be the type and it takes lots of time and practice to be that good." Perhaps he was laying it a bit too thickly, but nevertheless, Michiko gave him an indulging smile.

"No offence taken. I am well aware of the image I portray. Let's just say that appearances are important regardless of which village, city, country, world or universe you're in. Makeup can be quite an important skill in jobs requiring regular contact with clients and such. It was… a leftover skill from a lifetime ago."

Shisui filed that away for future reference. Itachi had warned him that Michiko liked little riddles and cryptic messages, apparently to (quoting verbatim here) 'amuse herself by watching ignorant cretins scurry around in a futile attempt to unravel her mysteries'. These 'riddles' were apparently trustworthy because some had figured them out, albeit they were too late. The warning had been accompanied by Itachi's trademark 'you-are-an-idiot' stare, a clear message to pack up and go home.

Pft. As if Uchiha Shisui was going to give up that easily.

"Well, you're eleven. It's hard to imagine that 'a lifetime ago' would be all that long."

"Oh, I imagine you'd be in for quite the surprise, Uchiha Shisui."

Shisui grinned. "After seeing a demonic old lady with three heads, cat ears and a cow's tail, I've been hard to surprise." That had been the craziest mission he had been on and Kakashi had told him that was only number three in terms of bizarreness on his list.

Michiko sipped her tea. "You've seen a lot. Then you should know that the more you know, the more you know how much you don't know."

"I guess. So what stuff do you like?" It was hard to tell with kunoichi like her. Sometimes, it was just best to ask them directly.

"I should tell you that this and any future purchases you may make for me of your own volition outside of any negotiation or deals will not count towards clearing your debt." Avoiding the question? Not so easily.

"I expected that. So?"

"Hmm… I suppose an interesting topic would be Itachi." Diving right in, huh?

"My baby cousin? Just so you know, any interested girls have to pass through me." Shisui kept his tone joking, but he knew she got the message.

"I would've thought that Itachi could make his own decisions." Oh yeah? Shisui called bullshit.

Shisui snorted indelicately. "You know as well as I do that Itachi sucks at making healthy life choices."

Michiko's lip quirked. "Perhaps. The odds have always been stacked against him, but he's been doing well so far." Most would say that Itachi's had all the odds in his favour, but it was not surprising that Michiko thought otherwise.

"I won't know about that."

"What is obvious in hindsight could very well be unforeseen. Itachi is a boy with some time yet. The consequences of his decisions have yet to make themselves known." But there will be consequences all right.

"I guess. But it's best to kill potential problems when they haven't taken root yet." An unnecessary warning. Shisui was sure that Michiko knew he didn't like her.

"But when a problem is deeply rooted, it sometimes causes less harm to let it rest." Yet another peculiarity. Michiko seemed just as confident in Itachi's loyalty as Itachi was in her capabilities. What could she have done?

Shisui shrugged. "I won't know about that. From my experience, deep seated problems are always trouble." Messing with her type of kunoichi almost never goes well.

"Without conflict, there would be no stories." A kunoichi who thrived in war? Why would Itachi follow someone like that?

"What type of stories do you like, then?"

"I am partial to the mystery/horror genre if we're talking fiction. They are quite amusing. How about you?" Shisui wasn't quite sure what that meant, but Michiko probably didn't read much fiction.

"You like the hardcore stuff, huh? I'm into hot romance stories, if you know what I mean." Kinda true. ANBU didn't have much spare time.

Michiko smirked. "I would've thought that a guy like you would rather participate in the action. Perhaps a little young, but you certainly are a desirable male." For a kunoichi of her age to be aware of such things wasn't all that unusual, but Shisui did wonder how she got exposed.

"Sixteen isn't so young. But you know how it works for ninja like me. I don't have much time to pick up girls and I definitely won't have time after this."

"Ah, yes. Don't worry too much about it. I've been settling the deal on my side. I can't have Itachi's dearest cousin die from doing back-to-back S-rank missions for three years now, can I?" Seriously?

"Man, does Itachi tell you everything?"

"Not exactly." Dodging again.

"Itachi really likes you, you know."

"It sounds like something you should speak to him about then." Another dodge. Michiko clearly wasn't giving any information she didn't want him to know. He could get more out of Itachi.

"Fine. So what's the deal going to be?"

"I'll send it to you later, but you'll have more free time than your current schedule can afford." That sounded good. Which meant that it was going to be horrible.

"It's going to be hard as hell, right?" Shisui whined.

"Life is dull without a little strife and spice."

"Yeah, but I'm more of a spice-type of guy. Don't think you can switch up the proportions a little?"

"I'll see. Do you like terrorist hunting?"

Shisui was instantly wary. "Depends on what type of terrorists you're talking about."

Michiko smirked. "The semi-immortal, blood-drinking, demonic, sadistic, masochistic, fanatical, religious variety." Oh no. Oh no no no. Shisui could _not_ take three years of that shit. It would be like Kiri all over again but three times worse. He had zero experience with satanic cults, but from what he'd heard, they were amongst the worst type of elimination missions.

"Err… No?"

Michiko's sickeningly sweet smile tested positive for sadism. "Oh well, that's a shame."

"... I'm not going to convince you otherwise, am I?"

"It would be wasted effort."

"It wouldn't be very efficient, would it?"

Michiko poured more tea for herself. "No, it wouldn't be."

Shisui sighed. "Sometimes, I hate it when Itachi's right. You sure are one hard-core bitch. Literally."

"Why thank you. It is one of my many prides."

"You know that I am the best genjutsu master in probably the world, right?" Shisui had considered that option many times.

"You wouldn't." Again with that confidence. Or was it arrogance? Did her beliefs have supporting evidence? Arrogance was confidence without basis. Nara weren't very arrogant mainly because they functioned on logic and knowledge and as Michiko stated, the knowledgeable also knew how much they didn't know. Was this just an illusion to trick him? But what for?

"What makes you think so?"

"Your loyalties are like Itachi's. First comes family, then the world, the village and the clan. While open-minded, you are not one to waver in your convictions." A paranoid kunoichi like her probably went to check regularly for genjutsu. She also hung around Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi and with his debt, any sudden unusual movements from Michiko would lead right back to him. Basically, short term genjutsu was out of the question. If he cast a genjutsu too strong, Itachi's sharingan would be able to pick it up easily and they spared almost every day. If he went for something that was long term and could trick Itachi's sharingan, something that powerful would undoubtedly leave traces. Itachi would eventually grow to be a greater genjutsu master than even Shisui and would one day notice it. By then, Michiko would've ensured that Itachi placed his loyalty to her above all else.

In other words, he would either be caught red handed for assault or risk tearing his relationship with Itachi apart. Neither were remotely viable.

"Family comes before the self." It was a grievous warning. If Michiko messed too hard with Itachi, Shisui would tear her apart even if it meant that his relationship with Itachi would become unsalvageable.

Michiko smiled. It was crystal cold.

"I would expect no less."

* * *

"You were right. Michiko-chan is good." Itachi continued sharpening his kunai, completely unsurprised as Shisui climbed in, past his top notch wards, through his weapon room window.

"Hn." Translation: Of course I am right. But since saying so is considered rude and arrogant, I shall stick with a neutral 'hn' while I laugh at your incompetence on the inside.

"She also made me pay for the lunch bill."

"Hmph." Translation: I warned you. Any consequences are the result of your foolishness.

"I know, I know. At any rate, she seems like a reasonable person even when she's pissed. You don't think I could negotiate with her?"

"Michiko-chan prefers settling things privately, legal action would be a last resort. If you can offer her something she deems more beneficial to her than 25 million ryo, she would graciously let this case slide."

Shisui waved his arms wildly. "Exactly! That's the problem! Even if I gave her all my money, I'd still be around 8 million short! What could I give her that's worth 8 million ryo? And there's still damages to the surroundings and all that. The Nara council will sue me and the Uchiha council will kill me for worsening clan relations!"

Itachi threw him a scroll. "Michiko-chan passed this to me. She told me it was top secret and to burn the scroll afterwards." So Michiko trusted Itachi to obey her and follow important orders even if they might be detrimental to his cousin. Shisui wasn't completely certain about how he felt about that, but it sure as hell wasn't anything good.

Shisui caught the scroll deftly and opened it.

 _Dear Uchiha Shisui-san,_

 _Thank you for the lovely lunch you treated me to. Being a woman of shallow pockets can be rather inconvenient from time to time. Your company was charming and I would love to arrange another date, but I'm afraid I'll have to abstain as there are more pressing matters at hand._

 _As I am sure Itachi has made you aware, the Nara council has been displeased with your actions of late. Nara Shikaku-sama, in particular, was rather invested in the project you happened to disrupt. However, you need not worry about being court-martialled. I have managed to keep this matter fairly private, though the Hokage may like to have a word with you._

 _The project was one of great importance to the village. As an ANBU, you would be aware that the barrier Uzumaki Mito-sama placed around the village is weakening as the years go by. While its sensory functions are fairly sturdy, many components such as the locking and repulsion systems are eroding fast without Uzumaki chakra, some due to expire within the decade. The seal you disrupted was a blueprint for a potential improvement._

 _I am afraid to say that factoring in Nara intellectual property laws, Akimichi territory damages, Konohagakure Military Law and Fire Country's Conservation Law, the estimated damage is around 50 million ryo. Not only were some of the components used invaluable, but the after-effects of the chakra shockwaves pushed many rare species of Nara herbs and deer into endangerment and rendered the area uninhabitable. A few fertile fields of the nearby Akimichi compound are now too chakra saturated to use for the next 50-100 years._

 _I have been made aware of your inability to compensate for the damages caused. I would like to assure you that majority of the damage fee is due to Nara intellectual property laws and with a few A-rank missions, you should be able to pay the rest of the fines. I have conversed with the authorities and it has been agreed that majority of the damage fees would go to me. As you do not have the financial means to fully compensate me, I am willing to settle this with non-monetary assets. I have enclosed a list of items whose total value I believe would be sufficient repayment in the seal below. Given the difficulty of the tasks and enormity of the debt, I am offering you three years to clear it before we discuss interest. Naturally, if you have any other terms or suggestions, I am open to further negotiation._

 _I hope to hear from you soon._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Nara Michiko_

 _Barrier Architect of Konohagakure,_

 _Branch Member of the Nara Clan,_

 _Genin of Konohagakure._

It had multiple storage seals below it, most likely containing the information on the items.

Shisui stared at the letter. The eleven-year-old girl was skilled enough to alter Uzumaki barriers. No, that wasn't that surprising. If one studied Uzumaki seals for 5 years, Shisui was sure anyone could do that. What was truly shocking was that she was _trusted with Konoha's most vital security system_. And she was a _Barrier Architect_? That was only a couple of steps down from being the official sealing authority of Konoha! Ninja gave twenty years of loyal service before being considered for those kinds of positions. How did she become so trusted so quickly? It just didn't add up! Even with the backing of the Nara council and the Jounin Commander's support, there was something wrong. Even if she had the support of every jounin in Konoha, it just didn't add up. There was some serious voodoo magic going on with that kunoichi and she was laying her paws all over his cousin.

This gesture was obviously meant to dismiss his suspicions. The knowledge was easily confirmable and he now knew it was virtually impossible for her to be harmful to Konoha in any way. In order to be trusted with a project of this scale, she would need the approval of quite a few key figures and if she could get past Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Morino Ibiki, the Hokage and Shimura fucking Danzou, there was no way he would be able to spot anything they didn't. But still…

Shisui had wanted to like Itachi's only non-Uchiha friend. Yet a kunoichi like Michiko had too many secrets, too many mysteries for the ninja part of Shisui to feel comfortable around her.

If Shisui couldn't trust her, how could Itachi, the most paranoid, ninja-orientated person Shisui had ever come across, trust her so wholeheartedly? He would've guessed a genjutsu, but Itachi's genjutsu was second only to him and that would change in a few years. Furthermore, if she managed to gain the approval of Morino Ibiki, there was no way she'd do something so blatantly illegal. No, kunoichi like her were slick and sly. It would be something much subtle, a psychological trick, perhaps. Something that was legal and wishy-washy, making it hard to doubtlessly put the fault on her. Itachi, being an oblivious blockhead when it came to emotions, would be vulnerable to an attack he couldn't perceive.

If that was the case, the best counter would be making Itachi aware of the attack.

"Hey, Itachi. Why do you trust Michiko-chan so much?"

This time, Itachi paused his sharpening. "... I am not sure myself."

Shisui raised his eyebrows. Itachi was believing in an uncertainty? Had the Earth stopped turning, the Sun stopped burning and the Universe collapsed in onto itself? What sort of witchcraft was this?

"What happened?" And Itachi hesitated. _Itachi hesitated_. His most precious person in the world whom he'd shared an unbreakable bond with since he was five, hesitated over telling him something important. All because of that girl. What had she done?

"Itachi, what happened." This time, Shisui's voice left no space for argument. He would force it out of Itachi if he had to. Screw Danzou, screw the Hokage, he didn't care about what they thought. That girl had touched the one being he cherished in this universe and _she would pay_.

"Michiko-chan showed me some parts of the clan I didn't quite like."

Shisui openly gaped because _what the actual fuck_. "She showed you- how?!"

Itachi looked at him in relief. "You are with us." He stated and Shisui could tell that that was a huge weight off his shoulders.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm on your side! I promised you, didn't I? No matter what happens, I would never betray you. If you chose to walk to the depths of hell, I would tag along and protect your back." They were closer than blood brothers, trusting each other unquestionably with every little secret. They trained together, they fought together, they bled together. But because of her, Itachi had doubted him. Itachi had let some girl get between them.

It stung. It stung a lot.

"Father invited her over for a formal dinner and she made me pay close attention to the proceedings. She lowered his guard by making him believe she was a naive peasant girl and slowly revealed his biases and prejudices. She walked around the compound and did the same to all Uchiha members. She… woke me up a little."

Shisui paused and considered. It was actually something he had been planning on doing. He would pull off his usual cheerful, blunt idiot act and show Itachi how hypocritical the clan really was. If he told Itachi to concentrate, he would spot the lies, the flimsy illusion easily. But Shisui had hesitated. Itachi was already a mini adult with scant pockets of innocence left in him. He was only seven, surely, surely it won't do any harm to let him live in blissful ignorance a little longer.

Shisui knew he would've done it eventually. But Michiko had gotten to Itachi first. And damn it if that didn't rub him the wrong way.

"You didn't find that suspicious?"

"Her goal was to secure my allegiance."

"For what purpose?"

"World peace."

Shisui blinked. "What? That's impossible!"

"Once she sets her mind on something, Michiko-chan will not stop till it's done. She will achieve world peace or die trying."

"More like the latter. Itachi, I know she'll turn out to be a great kunoichi, but that shit's impossible! What made you believe her?"

"Her promises show no signs of lies or doubt before my sharingan. She already has a plan she's willing to bet her life on."

"And do you know what that plan is?"

"No."

"How can you trust someone like that?"

"Before dinner, we made a bet. If I won, she would tell me a major Uchiha clan secret I didn't know."

Shisui raised his eyebrows skeptically. "An Uchiha secret _you_ don't know?"

Itachi nodded. "She told me the clan had ten years left if that. Her exact words were: 'They will collapse under the weight of their own legacy.'"

"But that's-" _Not entirely impossible_. Shisui jolted in shocked realisation. There were whispers floating around the compound, whispers of dissent and injustice that brewed and stewed. Whispers that could've been dismissed, would've been dismissed, but they were Uchiha. Prejudice from both sides wouldn't let whispers be whispers. Ten years was an optimistic estimate. Shisui had no trouble imagining those whispers slowly turning into snarls of hate and vengeance, had no trouble picturing the crimson conclusion of an emotional explosion amongst the stoic, high-strung Uchiha.

Finally, finally Shisui saw what he had been trying to deny. He saw what Michiko sensed so easily and it _aggravated_ him so much that he felt only a faint shock.

"Fuck."

"Succinctly put."

"And what's she doing about it now?"

"She has been very busy lately. From what I have gathered, she's been busy tangling herself with politics and gathering allies. I think she's trying to take care of the political aspect, leaving any physical work to us."

"And who would ally with an eleven-year-old genin girl?"

"Nara Shikaku, Mori Kiyomi, Mori Asuka, Akimichi Takumi, Sarutobi Hiruzen and us."

Shisui's jaw dropped. He didn't know who Mori Kiyomi was, but those were some huge names. Like ginormous, super duper, mega-powerful, hyper-influential, legendarily accomplished names in their respective sectors.

"What the serious fuck."

Itachi nodded seriously. Like mega-seriously, not just extra seriously. "Those are just the ones I've been made aware of.

"Nara Shikaku lets her have free reign within the Nara clan and seems to value her. He is a wise man. He sees Michiko-chan's stubborn nature and knows she will get what she wants by hook or by crook, so instead of standing in her way, he allies himself with her. This allows for a pact of neutrality and both sides benefit.

"Mori Kiyomi was my most dedicated stalker and fangirl and Michiko-chan sent her on a journey. I am not sure what happened, but within a year, she came back determined to change the world. I am unsure as to the full extent of Michiko-chan's plans for her, but I would not be surprised if one of Michiko-chan's goals is to revamp Fire Country's political system from the inside. She has Mori Asuka as a possible ally for her help with Kiyomi, and apparently, Mori Asuka acknowledges her.

"Akimichi Takumi is forever indebted to her. He was unable to learn the Akimichi's clan jutsu due to health disorders and was resigned to wasting away in a mediocre restaurant. She came along, saw his potential as a businessman and planted ideas in his head. She personally funded his business ideas and educated him, providing any guidance or assistance he needed. He is now a multi-millionaire branching out into other countries. He owes his life to her and would not deny her anything. Financially, she has nothing to worry about.

"I am uncertain as to how she gained the Sandaime's favour, but it probably has something to do with the Orochimaru incident, the ANBU purge and Danzou's dismissal from the council. Nara Shikaku replacing him means she has half the top brass on her side."

Shisui took a whole 0.2 seconds to absorb the information because-

"What the serious fuck." Seriously. That was becoming a question far too common around a witch who had her hooks onto his cousin. He needed her gone and he needed her gone now.

Itachi raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his comprehensive vocabulary. "Would you like to say that a few more times?"

"But- but- Itachi! Don't you find this, I don't know, _just a little weird_?!"

"You're an experienced ANBU. Surely you've seen much more surprising things."

"And my experience tells me this girl is a bomb waiting to blow. Messing with her is too dangerous!"

"All the more reason to get close to her. Better an ally than an enemy." The two cousins stared at each other and Shisui knew that in a clash of wills, he would lose.

Shisui didn't want to lose even more of Itachi to Michiko. He _wouldn't_ lose Itachi no matter what.

"Fine. I'll protect your back."

Itachi's soft smile was worth it.

* * *

The wind rushed past the Uchiha cousins as they headed to the front gate for Team 11's mission. The tension of last night was forgotten as they leapt from roof to roof.

"She hates me! I swear she hates me!" Shisui wailed melodramatically, his arms waving recklessly and his pitch fluctuating hysterically. He had opened the storage seals in the letter and realised every item on the list would require _at least_ an A-rank mission or above. There was a scary amount of information about them as well, but to the average jounin, attempting to obtain more than one item on the list either impossible or suicide.

Itachi gave him a wholly unimpressed look. Translation: You're just figuring this out now?

"I knew she was pissed, but I didn't think she'd try to _kill_ me!"

"I am approximately 100% certain Michiko-chan isn't trying to kill you. You are 28 million ryo in debt to her. Your death would not be as valuable as your life."

"Exactly! It's _approximately_ 100% and 99.5% would be rounded up to 100%. That means there could be a 0.5% chance she's trying to kill me."

Itachi's stony look told him he was rolling his eyes on the inside. "Regardless, I don't think talking to her would do you any good. Having to wake up for an unnecessary 5am gathering puts Michiko-chan in a bad mood." Of course Shisui wasn't going there to talk to her, he already had and he knew she wasn't budging. He just wanted to get a feel of their team dynamics.

"Yeah, but you're going to be gone for two weeks, right? If I want to make the three-year deadline, I've gotta start _now_ because the stuff on the list is crazy. If she's not trying to kill me, she's a sadist."

Itachi's response was a pointed silence. Translation: It is clear no amount of rational reasoning would get through an imbecile such as yourself. Therefore, I shall not deign to answer your pointless enquiries as conservation of resources takes priority over entertaining your foolish notions.

Brat.

"Itachiiiiii." Shisui whined. Nope. No response.

"Itaaaaachiiiiiiiiii. Don't ignore meeeeeeee. Itaaaaa-"

"Cease your whining. We are approaching the designated meeting area."

"Meanie." Shisui pouted, but was inwardly pleased with the reaction. Itachi was harshest to those closest to him.

"Itachi. Uchiha-san." Michiko greeted.

"Hiya, Michiko-chan! You look lovely as always."

Michiko smiled pleasantly. "Thank you for the generous compliment, Uchiha-san. I haven't had the time to bathe today."

Michiko did look a lot more dishevelled. Her bun was messy and knotted as compared to the neat and prim style from yesterday. She stank of chakra smoke and rotten… something and her complexion, which had been covered in layers of kunoichi-grade makeup, looked rough and poorly cared for with huge outbreaks of acne across her cheeks, the angry red contrasting with her ashy white complexion. Her nails had blood, dirt and some gunky green stuff in them and her toes were in a similar condition, but twice as fucked up. Her apron skirt of indistinguishable colour had dried bloodstains and her trousers had dirt caked at the bottom with a hole near her top left kunai pouch.

Overall, she looked like the ugly, greasy fifth cousin of the calm and poised young lady Shisui took out for lunch.

"Michiko-chan rarely bothers to clean up." Itachi explained. "She conducts fuuinjutsu experiments all the time and the results tend to be less than desirable."

Michiko nodded in agreement. "You caught me on a good day. I had to go meet with some VIPs. If I took a shower every time I messed up, I'd be wasting three hours a day cleaning myself up. Seeing as I'll be getting dirty on the mission, it's just not worth the investment."

Shisui sighed playfully. "You're worse than Itachi here. Even he isn't that practical."

Michiko grinned, the brilliant expression edged with a tinge of… something. "Thank you. I'm a busy woman, you see. I've turned around a few lives in three hours."

Shisui reciprocated the grin (though somewhere deep within, something visceral, something animal, something he had desperately shoved away and suppressed, cowered in terror at the stunningly beautiful smile).

"I'll believe that. Oh, hey! Seishiro!" Shisui hurried to turn away and spotted the brown-haired man standing to the side. He had no idea who he was behind the porcelain mask, but they'd worked together a few times.

"Uchiha Shisui. I'm surprised you know me." Yeah right. Even suited up behind a bunch of identity protection seals and jutsu-woven masks, it would take a blind genin not to notice the sharingan and figure out who he was.

"But of course! You are the teacher of my precious baby cousin! How're you holding up?"

Seishiro shrugged. "As well as you can expect with that team." Translation: He was at a complete loss of what to do.

Shisui patted him on the back. To his credit, Seishiro didn't even tense up. "Don't worry. You'll survive. Probably."

Seishiro gave him a neutrally baleful look (don't ask, Shisui wasn't quite sure how he managed it) but unfortunately, it was then that another chakra signature decided to join them.

"You're late." stated Seishiro.

"By five minutes! Big deal." Akio snapped back.

"It is a big deal. Tardiness reflects badly on a ninja's character and his village."

Before the fight could brew any further, Shisui interjected. "Yo! You must be Akio."

Akio's eyes widened and he gaped. "You-you! You're Uchiha Shisui! _The_ Uchiha Shisui!"

Shisui flashed a radiant smile. "The one and only in the flesh!"

"Why are you here?" Akio whispered breathlessly.

Shisui grinned and chuckled sheepishly. "Well, you see, I got into trouble with Michiko-chan the other day and I'm here to wiggle my way into her good graces."

Michiko rolled her eyes. "You're not doing a very good job at it."

Akio's eyes instantly narrowed suspiciously. "What did you do to Michiko-chan?"

Shisui raised his eyebrows at sudden accusation and jarring switch in tone as Michiko stepped forward, a calming smile gracing her face.

"Don't worry about me, Akio-san. The matter has mostly been settled. Uchiha-san has merely come to discuss the terms of settling his debt."

"Debt?"

"Yes. Uchiha-san happened to stumble upon me at an unfortunate time. The resulting destruction has racked up quite the damage fee."

Akio frowned and crossed his arms. "But he's Uchiha fucking Shisui! Ninja like him are multi-millionaires!"

Michiko patted his shoulder. "Being an S-rank ninja tends pay well, but Shisui is fairly young as they go. He doesn't have enough savings to treat a 50 million compensation fee lightly."

Akio's jaw fell open again. "50 million?! What the fuck did he do?"

"Fuuinjutsu accident."

Akio winced. "Oh."

Shisui frowned at the wince. "Do accidents happen that often?"

Akio shrugged. "Yeah. Lots of people who want to see Michiko are pretty stupid. Just because she basically lives there, they think the best place to see her is her training ground. Except Michiko never tells anyone when she's experimenting with crazy stuff, which is like 90% of the time. Even though the Nara gate guards tell everyone to be very careful, things tend to go boom a lot."

Shisui blinked. This time, taking an astronomical 1.4 seconds to process the information. The problem would've been easily rectified if Michiko put up a simple sign or barrier. Even hiring an assistant just to tell people to stay away should be preferable to losing fuuinjutsu worth millions of ryo. This meant Michiko _didn't_ want to rectify the situation. She always used high-grade equipment for her fuuinjutsu and was constantly working on invaluable fuuinjutsu. There was a lack of fuuinjutsu masters and there was no way to tell if she was actually working on the barrier seal, only that she had been working on something important. The explosion would've wiped out any evidence contrary. Not to mention she had the backing of the Nara and Konoha Council and despite her poor family background, she single-handedly funded Akimichi Takumi's ventures…

That sly little minx.

"Are you interested in ANBU? Specifically the infiltration or recon sector?"

Michiko smiled sweetly. Its wholesome and seemingly authentic innocence was a trick, _had_ to be a trick, but try as he might, Uchiha Shisui, the best sharingan user alive, couldn't spot a single sign of falsehood.

"Such compliments, Uchiha-san. Unfortunately, I have no interest in joining ANBU."

Akio glared at him, the initial hero worship abandoned. "Yeah! Michiko-chan is great and all, but there's no way in hell she's joining ANBU. A girl like her ain't going to last." Michiko cleared her throat pointedly. "I didn't mean it that way! It's just that ANBU does dirty stuff and you're the sweet type of girl."

Shisui really wanted to say that no, Michiko was not, in any way conceivable or perceivable, sweet and a girl of her temperament was perfect for ANBU. Shisui could easily picture her sitting behind the Head of ANBU desk ordering her minions about and Akio was a fool for believing her facade. Then again, Akio was a fresh genin and seemed to possess the Uchiha's inherit blindness in excess, so it was only to be expected. Shisui also had a feeling Michiko wouldn't be pleased with him if he broke her illusion over Akio. 28 million ryo debt aside, he knew Michiko would eventually become a force to reckon with and didn't want to anger the minx any further.

"My, my. Three compliments from the esteemed Uchiha clan in as many minutes? I must've broken some sort of record."

Akio tried to glare, but it came off way too softly to qualify. "It's just that I don't know many girls. All the academy girls are annoying and the Uchiha girls are snobbish. Civilian girls are just dumb and stupid."

Michiko lightly tapped his head admonishingly. "A dismissive ninja is a crippled ninja."

Despite how badly Akio reacted to Seishiro's comment, he seemed somewhat contrite at Michiko's rebuke. Michiko's handiwork, no doubt. "It's true! I mean, not you obviously, but most girls I know are silly."

"And they are just that. Girls. Just like how boys can be stupid, girls can be silly. You just haven't been around enough women yet."

Akio huffed. "I guess. Can we get on with the mission?"

"Of course. Uchiha-san, while I appreciate the effort you've taken to come all the way out here, I really must get going. Item number three is non-negotiable." Michiko bowed shallowly in acknowledgement. Seishiro immediately started walking away and the rest of the team followed and poor old Shisui was left to ponder the mystery that was Michiko.

What on earth was Jashinism and why did Michiko want a shit ton of information on it?

* * *

It was a routine resupplying mission. There was no secret information being transmitted, no suspicious movement in the area and it was a standard C-rank, Konohagakure issued mission.

So when the orange-masked man appeared before them, Arakida Seishiro knew he was probably after the sharingan.

The masked man immediately went after him, aiming to take out the biggest threat. It took Seishiro around 0.1 seconds of combat to figure out he was completely outclassed.

"Run!" Seishiro ordered. Akio looked as if he would protest, but Michiko knocked him out and dragged both Uchiha away. Good girl.

"Who are you and what business do you have with Konohagakure!"

The masked man giggled. "Hello! I'm Tobi and Tobi wants to meet Itachi-kun!"

"You dare attack Konoha ninja so near to Konohagakure? Are you suicidal?"

"It's all fun! Tobi is just playing!" Seishiro hid a grimace. That, he could believe. He had no doubt that if this 'Tobi' was serious, his team would already have been annihilated.

Then a chakra burst. A chakra burst so intense it shook the forest. Animals came scampering out of the woods and birds flew off trees as a huge blackness erupted. Seishiro smirked.

Act abandoned, the masked man turned to Seishiro. "What was that?"

"I'm never quite sure, but I know you'll never get your hands on Itachi." Not as long as Michiko was alive anyway.

When the masked man suddenly appeared behind him and went for his neck, Seishiro knew it was over.

 _Forgive me, Noa. Forgive me._


	8. Comatose Action

Uchiha Itachi was not happy when he woke up to see the ceiling of his hospital room. And as any decent ninja would tell you, the amount, quality and chakra of the seals plastered all over signified that he was in the ICU, more specifically, the unusual injury sector. If you woke up in this particular type of room, it usually meant that recovery would be inconveniently complicated.

Two medics entered his room fifteen seconds later, one nin and one civilian.

"Your chakra system suffered heavy damage from intense space-time distortion rays, but there should be no scarring." informed civilian. "My colleague, Dr Nara, will now be performing a check up on your chakra system."

Nara. Itachi jolted as he remembered what Michiko did.

"Run!" Akio opened his mouth to protest, but Michiko quickly knocked him out.

"Follow me!" Michiko ordered. Itachi swiftly followed her through the forest until they approached a clearing. Michiko dumped Akio onto the forest floor and took out a scroll. Opening it, she pulled out another scroll that was taller than her. She propped it against a tree and unrolled it, revealing an insanely complex and delicate seal. Black circles, red lines and some blue spirals filled the 1.7m by 2.1m roll of paper. Itachi didn't need to know much about fuuinjutsu to know it cost millions. Michiko rolled her wrist, sliding a brush out and drew even more symbols on. After three seconds, she was done and she turned to him.

"Stand in the front of the centre dot." Itachi stood in front of a blue dot. Michiko picked up Akio and handed him to Itachi.

"Stay still."

Michiko's hand flickered through a few hand seals before she pushed Itachi into the seal and right through the paper. Itachi saw Michiko jumping in after him before a searing pain raced through his entire body, his chakra being pulled out as his insides expanded and contracted randomly. The pain of his whole body being stretched and compressed was more than enough to knock him out.

"Your chakra system is looking a lot better. The coma seems to be the side effect of a peculiar chakra blanket, probably to protect you from space-time damage. The blanket did a fairly good job, and as far as I can see, as long as you don't perform any space-time related jutsu for the next month, you should make a full recovery. This includes using storage seals and summoning jutsu."

"How is my team?" asked Itachi.

"Uchiha Akio has already been discharged, but it seems like the Nara took the brunt of the attack. She has yet to wake up. Your jounin sensei is presumed dead. Since your teammate was unable to fill us in, what can you tell us about the attack?"

Itachi felt some sadness at the death of Seishiro, but Seishiro had always been emotionally distant from them. Still, he had been very dedicated to his job and had truly helped their team improve despite their difficulties while trying to improve his own emotional deficiencies. He returned the respect Itachi and Michiko showed him and was one of the few that didn't treat them like incompetent children just because of their age. Team 11 had gone to extreme lengths to make Seishiro's job difficult and their time as a team had been nothing short of trying. But Seishiro had never given up on them and ultimately sacrificed himself so they could have a chance at survival. He had been a ninja Itachi respected greatly.

"We encountered an orange-masked man on our way back from our mission. Our jounin sensei, Arakida Seishiro, ordered us to run. Akio-san was noncompliant so Michiko-chan decided to knock him out. Michiko-chan led me to a forest clearing and activated a seal. I recall nothing after that."

The civilian's eyes widened. "A seal? But that's impossible!"

"I suspected as much," said Dr Nara. "If they used an incomplete space-time jutsu, their strange injuries fit perfectly."

"But only the Nidaime and Yondaime could use a teleporting seal!"

Dr Nara shook her head. "There have been many over the years who have tried to imitate them and their injuries are similar to this."

"Will Michiko-chan receive any permanent damage?"

"There is a small chance, but space-time injuries can change rapidly. We are unsure of her condition, but if the coma is also caused by a chakra blanket, then she will likely make a full recovery. We can't pin an exact date, but the chakra blanket would wear out in two to five months."

"When can I be discharged?"

"Three days, earliest. Most likely a week." That was extremely early for a space-time incident, which meant-

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Two months." Ninja Itachi winced internally. He'd planned to pick up the Wind Release before the chuunin exams, but it seemed like-

Wait. The chuunin exams. Which were in a month. That he had to take because of clan nonsense. With the physical conditioning of an academy student. And he had to take it with his teammates. One of which was still unconscious after a two-month coma and another who would doubtlessly not receive any proper training without a jounin sensei.

Suddenly, Itachi was not looking forward to the idea of being discharged and dealing with Uchiha Drama™.

* * *

Nara Shikaku was not a happy man. Seeing as everyone had been diving out of his way for the last two months, they knew it too.

Michiko was a troublesome woman. He had known that since the minute they had met. So even if the growth rate of her troublesomeness was exceptionally exponential, Shikaku couldn't be bothered to pretend he was surprised when the third Uchiha-Nara dispute was, once again, caused by Michiko.

It didn't make it any less troublesome to deal with.

There had been the Nara Council. Troublesome, but nothing he couldn't deal with.

"I'm starting to think that Michiko isn't worth it." stated Nara Ensui at the monthly Nara council meeting. "The Natural Shadow Mind is not that rare and its powers aren't enough to negate the trouble the girl is causing. Michiko is letting power get to her head. We have been too lenient with her, giving her too many privileges and freedom. I am not suggesting we crush her and I am not above negotiation. But as it stands, we have given her her own training ground, given her family thrice as much support as we normally would and given her millions in funding for her fuuinjutsu. Yet we receive little in return. Not to mention her strong-willed and defiant personality causes issues with loyalty. I would like to bind her more tightly to the clan and secure her loyalty to ensure a return on investment. We have made a verbal agreement, but there is no binding contract that obliges us to continue indulging her."

Shikaku could see that Suzaku, but not Shou, agreed with Ensui's evaluation and he had raised many valid points. Ensui was a cool tactician, considering the battlefield in terms of loss and gain. But he was too near-sighted and often failed to take into account deviations and human anomalies. Shikaku himself had no doubt that if it benefitted her, Michiko would betray the clan without a second thought. While Shikaku believed that Michiko genuinely cared about her mother and teammates, she was unaffected by clan and village propaganda and felt no emotional attachments to them. But Shikaku respected Michiko and Michiko returned that respect. If the Nara didn't directly impede Michiko's goals, Michiko would go out of her way not to betray them if they didn't betray her first.

Which meant that if the Nara wanted to cut their losses by betraying their agreement, Michiko wouldn't hesitate to stab back. And that would be much more troublesome than 100 Uchiha-Nara disputes.

Troublesome. Michiko really was way too troublesome, yet Shikaku knew that her benefits outweighed her detractors. He knew from her stunningly devious smiles, her unhallowed black eyes and calculated insanity that she was a woman who got what she wanted and when she did, it was best to be on her side. If anyone could take care of the current Uchiha situation, she could. Shikaku actually thought the boons he gave her were insufficient compensation for dealing with a herd of angsty, vengeful Uchiha regularly and potentially stopping world war. That wasn't even counting the frenzy she'd thrown ANBU in as well as her barrier seals, both of which he was sworn to secrecy about. That meant he had no solid evidence to convince the Nara Council to listen to his gut feeling. As the Nara Council functioned on pure logic and hard evidence, that was an uphill task he really didn't want to do.

But he wasn't a Konoha council member and the head of clan for nothing.

"That's impossible." Shikaku spoke up.

Instantly, everyone's attention turned to him.

Suzaku spoke up. "Out of everyone here, I think it is safe to say that Shikaku-sama is Michiko-chan's greatest supporter. None of us doubt your abilities or intelligence, but I'm afraid we have not reached the same conclusions you have. Blind faith has never suited the Nara. There are many who acknowledge her talents, myself included, but some are beginning to think her special treatment goes a little too far. If you would explain your reasoning, I am sure we will be able to resolve this issue faster."

Shikaku sighed. "I have known since our first meeting that Michiko doesn't resemble a Nara. She doesn't think like us, she doesn't act like us and she definitely doesn't feel as we do. In other words, beyond being a business associate, I doubt she feels much for the clan because she has never felt like she was a part of the clan. With her poor social and financial standing coupled with her later status as the Natural Shadow Mind user, she was never treated as a fellow clansman, thus she sees no reason to treat the Nara as her kin. But when I showed her respect, she returned it twofold. She has an unbreakable set of ethics she follows, dubious though they may be, and will treat you as she has been treated. She takes such non-verbal agreements seriously. How do you think she would take a verbal agreement, sworn upon the honour of our clan?"

Suzaku frowned. "Michiko-chan doesn't seem like one for revenge."

Shikaku shook his head. "To her, it isn't about revenge. Treat her kindly and she will do the same. The opposite holds true. I suspect that it has more to do with a sense of justice or self-preservation than anything else. She'd laugh at the thought of revenge."

Ensui's expression hardened. "That may be so, but what can an eleven-year-old do to the Nara Clan? She has brought no small grief to our clan. The first incident with the Uchiha could be dismissed as inexperience, but the second incident resulted in 30% of our deer rearing and herb farming areas destroyed. That could have been easily prevented if she'd accepted our offer of providing a handler. At this rate, she does more damage to the clan by being part of it."

"Michiko's contributions to the clan are lacking." Shikaku admitted. "But her contributions to the village have been invaluable."

Ensui frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Asking Shikaku-sama is pointless. He is sworn to secrecy." said Shou. Out of the Nara council members, Shou was the best at piecing together puzzles.

"Please explain, Shou-san." asked Suzaku.

"Shikaku-sama is no fool and I am not blind to the unusual movements in Konoha, many of which show signs of Shikaku-sama's involvement. Have you forgotten his inauguration speech? When we swore loyalty to him, we all agreed that above the Nara clan lies the safety of Konoha. Danzou was a suspicious man, noble at heart, but dubious in methodology. His quiet dismissal and Shikaku-sama's ascension coincides with Michiko-chan's increased visits to the main house. Afterwards, Shikaku-sama granted her a private training ground and increased funding then suddenly ANBU was thrown into mayhem and the chakra in the walls of Konoha, saturated in fuuinjutsu, start to change. Her unconventional team placement with two Uchiha could be explained by Shikaku-sama's influence. Do you truly believe that is a coincidence after the Uchiha's segregation?"

There was a silence as the other two considered Shou's words. As Shikaku didn't confirm or deny, it was likely true.

"I understand your special treatment now, Shikaku-sama." said Suzaku. "If what Shou says is true, and it likely is, then I have no complaints. Still, I would like to know. What inspired such confidence in her in the first place?" He could tell, but it had merely been a suspicion born of a gut feeling. That sort of thing was weak in front of the Nara.

"If Shou has already figured out so much, then he would likely explain it better."

Shou nodded. "Indeed, such confidence is hard to explain for a Nara, especially without credentials to back it up. My confidence in her abilities does not stem from my faith in Shikaku-sama's judgement or circumstantial evidence. It is from the way she moves the shadows. As you all are aware, I was given the duty of personally training her. After a futile week in which I was convinced that she was talentless, she told me she learned best from observation and she sat in on a chuunin training session. She asked a few strange questions and asked me to demonstrate a few times. Within the day, her shadow jutsu was on par with someone who'd been learning for half a year. It was only then that I saw what Shikaku-sama had. Michiko-chan is not Nara. She failed to understand it when I tried to explain it the Nara way, but once she had a basic technical understanding, she found her own way. The ingenuity and skill needed to do so is no joke. I'm sure you know of her original shadow jutsu."

"You mean the one she refuses to share?" questioned Ensui. That had always been a point of contention between Michiko and Ensui.

Shikaku sighed before replying. "It isn't so much as refusal, but inability to share. Michiko doesn't control the shadows, the shadows become a part of her. Unlike us, who need to convert our chakra into pure Yin, Michiko's default chakra state is already 100% Yin. I asked her how to do her jutsu and she attempted to teach me as part of a deal. The jutsu is deceptively simple and Michiko told the truth when she said anyone with enough skill can replicate it easily. I failed miserably."

Suzaku's eyes widened and the other council member showed similar expressions of surprise.

"Shikaku-sama wasn't skilled enough? But Shikaku-sama is the best at our clan jutsu!"

Shikaku grinned. "It's not that I wasn't skilled enough. It's that Michiko's jutsu can hardly be called a Nara jutsu. 'Control the shadows, don't let it control you'. 'When immersed in the shadows, always pull yourself back into the light'. 'Do not let the shadows consume you'. I'm sure you all remember these lessons. They are hammered into every Nara child and those who don't obey them go mad from the shadows. But Michiko has somehow disregarded these rules. The shadows are extensions of her rather than a weapon. She is the shadow, the shadows are her."

"But that should be physically impossible! When we connect with the shadows, we touch upon the realm of the dead. Those who go too deep inevitably get sucked into death. If Michiko truly managed to unlock the Shadow Suicide jutsu by accident, she should be dead!" Suzaku exclaimed. Many clans had made deals with otherworldly beings in exchange for power. The Inuzuka with the Inugami and the Akimichi with Uke Mochi. The Nara's dealings with the Shinigami weren't an abnormality. The Shinigami was actually one of the most commonly contracted Gods.

"I had Inoichi check this. When she uses her shadow jutsu, there is no chakra distinction between the two."

"But what effect does that have on her mental state?" questioned Ensui. "The more one uses the shadows, the more one becomes consumed by them. If she is the shadows, which makes no sense, then it is likely that she is insane."

Oh, Michiko was insane alright. She was unquestionably, definitely, without a shadow of doubt, 100% insane. Shikaku knew it like he knew that the sky is blue and the grass is green. And it was that insanity, that unpredictability, that divergent mentation that made her a successful kunoichi. He suspected from the way she talked that once upon a time, she might've had a normal, sane civilian mindset, but those days were long gone.

"At this point, Michiko has turned our hiden ninjutsu into a kekkei genkai. Kekkei genkai have been proven affect one's mentality, but most traits are neutral or beneficial. I wouldn't worry about her sanity too much."

Ensui pursued his lips. "If it is true that she has managed to turn our hiden ninjutsu into a kekkei genkai, something our forefathers had attempted without success, then perhaps we should give her more consideration as a marriage prospect."

Shikaku levelled Ensui with a disappointed and exasperated look, a clear reprimand. "Michiko isn't your average girl. She isn't even your average Nara. She doesn't consider benefits and drawbacks like we do because she sees things much differently. What may be considered to be an advantageous and generous offer to a normal girl, such as a marriage proposal from the Nara main house, would not be considered the same way by her. Michiko values freedom and independence highly and an arranged marriage would take that away from her. Such an offer would be viewed as insulting."

"But an arranged marriage is settled between the parents of the match. The children have no say in it. An arranged marriage would bind her irrevocably to the clan and her abilities can be better harnessed. It is the least she could do after the damages she caused. We cannot let a chance like this slip by and even if she causes even more harm, it would be worth the investment in a few generations."

Shikaku resisted the urge to facepalm. His council members were supposed to be smart and help him, not give him headaches. Then again, Michiko had always been a controversial topic amongst the Nara and was unmanageable at best. Ensui, the model of a conventional Nara, was unequipped to handle her.

Suzaku frowned. "While I agree that sounds logical on paper, I do not believe such an arrangement would work. As Shikaku-sama has demonstrated, Michiko-chan holds a fair amount of influence in the village. If we strike, she will strike back. If Shikaku-sama's character evaluation is correct, she will do her best to bring the clan down with her. In terms of clan benefit, such a proposal will be detrimental in the long run."

Shou shook his head. "Not just that. I've met her mother. Do you really think a woman who would rather prostitute herself than force her child to become a killer would agree to an arranged marriage? Aina-san is a woman of indomitable will, something I believe Michiko-chan inherited. She will not cave no matter the benefit."

Ensui frowned. "She seems to be more trouble than she is worth. But as it seems that Shikaku-sama is able to handle her, I shall withdraw my opinion from the matter and trust in his judgement."

Shikaku nodded. "Then the matter is settled."

But then there were the Uchiha, who started the third dispute and really liked to cause a fuss out of nothing.

"Nara-san. I have great respect for the Nara and their strength, but the latest incident has brought me to question your handling of a certain member of your clan." Uchiha Fugaku sat across him in the Nara's main house tea room in formal Uchiha attire. He had scheduled for a three-hour long appointment, but Shikaku knew this was the only real thing on his agenda. There had already been an hour of pleasantries and trivial matters addressed before this.

"Michiko I presume? I don't see how her hospitalisation is a problem of my clan."

"The chuunin exams are a month away and she has yet to gain consciousness. With her heavy damage, I doubt she will be ready for this chuunin exam or the one after that and there is a chance she will receive permanent damage to her chakra system. I'm sure you know that chakra injuries, especially space-time injuries, are complex and several complications may arise. Itachi is beyond talented and as his clan head and father, it is my duty to ensure he excels as much as possible. Therefore, I request in my capacity as the Uchiha clan head and your capacity as both the Nara clan head and Konoha council member, that Nara Michiko no longer be part of the requirements necessary for Uchiha Itachi to take the chuunin exams."

Honestly, Shikaku didn't see much of a problem with his request. But Shikaku didn't want to touch whatever Michiko was doing over on the Uchiha side because it looked tiresomely delicate and he didn't want to accidentally spark a civil war. If Itachi got promoted, they would both spend less time with each other, though Shikaku had no doubt that Michiko could work around that. Not to mention he also knew that Michiko would want him to deny the request and she'd be around Yoshino-is-Seriously-Furious-Scary level if she found out he had intentionally disrupted her political machinations. He quite liked their current deal of staying out of each other's business.

"I acknowledge your son's considerable talents, but as you are aware, the Sandaime has raised the age limit for promotion and your son has already received special treatment in that aspect thrice with the academy entry age, graduation age and now the minimum chuunin exam age. The conditions the council asked in return aren't much."

"That may be so, but my heir shouldn't be held back from his maximum potential. He will serve the village better at a higher rank and level of training and his advancement in ranks would benefit everyone. Given his talents and how well he would serve the village in the future, I do not believe a few minor concessions is too much to ask. I am willing to have Akio continue to be a requirement, but Nara Michiko may prove to be a liability to my son. I am not here to delve into past grievances, but it is undeniable that her involvement is major in the current tension between our clans. I believe separating her from her teammates will be a sufficient resolution until tensions eventually die off."

And that was Fugaku's true motives showing through. He wanted his heir to advance as fast as possible, but he wanted Michiko gone more. Shikaku had received a lot of complaints from the Uchiha because of the ruckus Michiko caused when she visited. Fugaku viewed Michiko as a threat to his son, yet he didn't seem to acknowledge her capabilities. The nuance was so small Fugaku himself didn't seem to notice it. But while Uchiha were arrogant, for them to be this blind was very peculiar.

Very peculiar. And also very, very Michiko.

Michiko's name really was becoming synonymous with the word 'troublesome'. Coming from the Nara clan head, that said a lot.

"Your heir is also recovering from the incident. He's still young and there are many other opportunities. There's no need to rush him and risk his death."

"My heir will be fine and if we can't find a replacement that won't drag him down, we will just go without. As this chuunin exam is in Konoha, I would like to take home ground advantage. The next exam is in Suna, an allied country. Nara Michiko is unlikely to recover by then and we would miss prime opportunities."

"Konoha exams always require a team of three. Your heir is exceptional, but providing so many exceptions for him raises unwelcome questions. However, I will concede that space-time injuries are complex and that Michiko's abilities may be severely compromised as a result. With only a month, it is unlikely I can do much for this exam. If Michiko doesn't recover by the next exam, I will talk the Sandaime into allowing for a replacement."

Fugaku didn't seem too pleased. "My heir is more than ready to advance and has been held back for too long. Exceptions should be made for the exceptional. But I do acknowledge that the general populace might not see it that way. Regardless, there is no telling when she would wake up and even then, whether she would regain her skills. I will arrange a replacement immediately. Naturally, the replacement would fit the normal requirements including the necessary missions achieved, approval from their jounin sensei as well as being a kunoichi. Should she not wake up, the replacement of my choice will be part of the team. If she does, she shall battle the replacement once before the Suna exams. Should she prove herself superior and defeat the replacement, then I shall deem her as the rightful teammate to my heir."

The replacement would most likely be an Uchiha girl as Fugaku needed control over the replacement. She would probably come from the higher class family as only they trained their females. Which meant it would most likely be someone Fugaku wanted Itachi married to or become an ally of. If Fugaku was as foolish as Shikaku thought he was, she would be from the Red Army as all the top Uchiha kunoichi belonged there. Realistically, they were the only ones who stood a chance against Michiko.

But Fugaku, once again, failed to take the human side of the matter into account. Itachi and Akio were both attached to Michiko. If the replacement was who Shikaku thought she would be, both of them would take an automatic dislike of her because she was a Red Army fangirl and from the higher class families. Itachi because he hated the Red Army and didn't want to go anywhere near them, much less get married to them, and Akio because he didn't like girls who would fawn over Itachi and ignore him, which a Red Army girl and one of the higher class Uchiha would. Itachi and Akio might not be friends, but their relationship was no longer hostile and had settled on an unstable neutrality. Faced with this situation, they would probably partner up against the perceived intruder. Knowing Itachi, he would gather as much information for Michiko as he could and use Akio to antagonise her for any secrets. Shikaku knew Michiko would wake up before the next chuunin exams. There was no way she would stay down for so long. And against the combined might of Team 11, the replacement would stand no chance.

Wait a second… the combined might of Team 11? When the Team had been formed, such an event was thought to be impossible. Akio lashed out at everything, Michiko received no respect and Itachi stood head and shoulders above everyone, making him unapproachable. To top it off, they were given to an ANBU who was notorious for his emotional inadequacy. Yet in one swift move, the team was united against a common threat. Not to mention it was very odd that Michiko, the creator of a seal that was meant to be tailored to the creator, was taking a very long time to wake up despite suffering the least damage.

If it was anyone else, Shikaku would've dismissed it as a conspiracy theory. Michiko couldn't possibly have known that an orange-masked man would attack their team. But somehow, Shikaku got the feeling that conspiracy theories had a habit of turning true when Michiko was involved. You know, just like the one about Danzou having an illegal organisation of emotionless ANBU-level ninja at his command as he plotted from the shadows to take over Konoha?

"Then I shall inform the Hokage of this deal. I am sure he will find it acceptable."

"You seem confident."

Shikaku took a sip of tea before answering. "I am. If there is one trait about her that stands above all, it is obstinacy."

Fugaku nodded, his eyes hardening. "Very well. We shall see."

Quoting from a certain troublesome-but-almost-always-right woman, good Uchiha diplomacy was no diplomacy. And Shikaku was afraid to say that she was right once again.

* * *

Arakida Noa was, in no means perceivable or conceivable, happy. To say that the death of her husband came as a shock was an understatement. Seishiro was ANBU and being a jounin sensei was as safe a position one could get without being a genin or taking an administrative job. Sure, his team was more than a little unusual and he had the Uchiha clan heir, but she didn't ever think that that would be his undoing.

They never found his body. The investigative team went to the scene of the crime and uncovered nothing. There was no chakra traces, no scents, nothing. It was as if nothing had happened. But bodies were often stolen and not having a body to bury wasn't uncommon for jounin.

Noa knew this. Every ninja knew this. It was always in the back of their minds, that their loved ones could be ripped from them and they'd never know who did it or why. That they should be prepared for if it happened, for when it happened. Noa had loved Seishiro even after knowing he was ANBU. Even after knowing that ANBU died more often than not.

She should have known, yet she wasn't prepared. No one could ever be prepared.

She had been so relieved when Seishiro decided to leave. From a duty bound ANBU, that sort of loyalty was scarce, having been taught to place Konoha above all else. Most only got married to have children. It was all about duty. But Seishiro had chosen her above his duties. He had chosen her. Ever since he had gotten his genin team, he had gotten so much better. He could smile better, he was more relaxed and some days, Noa could even get him to laugh.

On their wedding day, Seishiro had been the happiest she had ever seen him. He laughed, he drank, he joked. Noa had felt so accomplished. Their relationship had been long, trying and many times, bloody. Seishiro was a broken, broken man and Noa wasn't much better herself, living in constant fear that their fragile relationship would end in yet another heartbreak. There were a countless number of times where their relationship looked like it would shred to pieces. The times when all their problems were just too much to bare. But they had bore through the tough times for a better tomorrow. They always had and that was how they reached today. Where they had a stable home, a bright future and plans for a happy, healthy family.

Their wedding day had been just one month before his death. Noa was going to tell him she was pregnant when he returned.

Noa was undeniably bitter over his death. She had worked so hard to get to where they were. They both did. Yet in one instant, everything was gone. Seishiro was gone, leaving her behind with his unborn child. And there was nothing she could do.

Her one consolation was that Seishiro's name had been carved into the memorial stone. That he was remembered instead of being another one of the nameless shadows that protected Konoha and died with no one by their side. That he was remembered as he should be: as a hero who sacrificed his life for the future of Konoha.

Arakida Noa hated being a kunoichi. She hated this world they lived in. She hated Konoha and what it stood for. She hated ninja. But she would complete the mission her husband had set out to do.


	9. Love?

Itachi was slowly going mad. No one noticed.

Four months before the Sunagakure chuunin examinations and three months since he woke up, Itachi was at the end of his line. He really needed a break from all the Uchiha Drama™.

Uchiha Kaori was one of those Uchiha fangirls. The ones with long, silky, midnight hair styled after his mother, big black eyes framed with fake long lashes, flawlessly pale skin caked with kunoichi makeup and a slender, petite figure clad in the best Uchiha kunoichi dresses and jewellery. She was one of the girls that glared at Akio like he was dirt while they draped themselves all over Itachi.

She also happened to be the girl Fugaku wanted him to marry.

Kaori had a strong sharingan, near perfect breeding and her abilities as a kunoichi surpassed most shinobi at her age. Itachi didn't understand her. She acted like she was queen of the world even though she had nothing on Michiko. Sure, Kaori was a little prettier and quite strong, but in Itachi's humble opinion, it didn't compensate for her… unfortunate personality.

Their replacement jounin sensei was still undecided due to -guess what?- clan politics and a lack of available (not to mention willing) jounin. The Uchiha insisted on an Uchiha jounin, stating that since it was an all-Uchiha team and an Uchiha would be best equipped to handle their needs. The council disagreed because it was an unspoken rule that a jounin sensei shouldn't be from the same clan as one of the genin as it gave the clan too much influence over a team's schedule. And so on, so forth.

It was merely a bunch of nonsense that fooled no one. The Uchiha wanted control over him and his schedule so they could increase training time for him and Kaori while neglecting Akio. The council wanted to control the Uchiha heir and Itachi was stuck between the two powers as both vied for control through brainwashing. With the Uchiha-Nara situation heating up, the Sandaime opted to delay things. In the end, they decided to settle it in the classic ninja way that has proved effective since time immemorial: battle. If Kaori won, the Uchiha got their way. If Michiko won, the council got their way.

The self-assured Uchiha were starting to get a little antsy over the Hokage's favoritism to Michiko. And no one liked antsy Uchiha. For the time being, the council just handed them a training schedule, a mission quota and let them do what they wished. ANBU were probably spying on them.

It was a huge political headache that neither Inner nor Ninja Itachi liked. Inner Itachi hated politics in general while Ninja Itachi just wasn't cut out for it. He was a ninja, a tool that followed orders. Being left for months without his Master or any orders put him on edge. He felt directionless and lost. He wasn't quite sure how much longer he could last.

"Itachi-kun! Would you like to spar?" Itachi gave her a blank look.

"No thank you. Perhaps you would like to spar with Akio-san?" Kaori, despite all her detractors, could actually defeat Akio quite easily. She was physically stronger than Michiko, but she was only of moderately high intelligence.

Kaori scoffed. "But he's weak and can't keep up with us. I'm sure we could go without him. We could grab a bite before that, if you want."

"Shut up, slut. You just want to get into the bastard's pants." snarled Akio.

Kaori looked down at him even though she was shorter. "Remember your place, peasant! You are speaking about Uchiha Itachi, heir of our noble clan and a legend in making. Show some respect!" Itachi felt a tinge of irritation. Did they really have to fight every time they met?

Akio snorted. "So what? He's only genin. Unless you count cleaning up manure or walking dogs, he hasn't done anything great yet. Why should I treat him like he's a big shot? When he becomes Hokage and stops world war, then I'll give him respect."

"If the village didn't hold him back, he'd be jounin! He could beat you to paste anytime, peasant! It's imbeciles like you that disgrace our clan name! Did that Nara girl mess you up so bad you got brain damaged?"

Akio's temper flared. "Don't you dare talk about Michiko-chan that way! You could try all your life and you'd never reach her current level!"

"What's so great about that Nara girl! All she's done is lie in bed and hold Itachi-kun back! It'd be better if she just died so Itachi-kun could-"

"Kaori-san." Both Akio and Kaori jumped when Itachi spoke out and turned to face him. Both were shocked at what they saw.

Itachi's sharingan was fully activated and his usually soft monotone voice was cold and hard. He was the shortest of them all, but he looked down on them with those crimson eyes, his gaze shadowed and frosty. He held eight shuriken in his hands and bloodlust leaked out off his every pore.

Itachi was furious.

With a flick of his wrist, all eight shuriken flew, four at Kaori and four at Akio. Shocked, Kaori froze up, her double tomoe sharingan whirling as the shuriken found their mark, each giving her a light cut on the shoulders and thighs. Akio flicked his wrist and his kunai slid out, deflecting the shuriken.

"Uchiha Kaori. Are you a kunoichi?"

Kaori, still shocked, was taken aback at Itachi's unforgiving tone. "I-Yes?"

"It was a simple throw. Anyone who graduated from the academy should know how to dodge it. Why couldn't you?"

Kaori frowned, struggling to regain her composure. "Well, I-you shouldn't have thrown shuriken at me! If you wanted to spar, I would've been ready and-"

Itachi's bloodlust increased dramatically, causing Kaori to take a step back. Akio readied his kunai.

"Oi, Itachi! What's going on?" Akio asked. Itachi ignored him and focused on Kaori.

"All you've been doing for the last month is complain about Akio-san and Michiko-chan while boasting about yourself. Nothing that you've said has any substance. One month was how long it took for Michiko-chan to learn iryoninjutsu. One month was how long Michiko-chan took to learn the Suiton. One month was how long it took Michiko-chan to learn an A-rank jutsu. Yet in this past month, you've shown no signs of improvement, only arrogance in your abilities and an inflated sense of self.

"Akio-san, who you feel is so inferior to yourself, deflected the shuriken effortlessly while you stood there being useless. My bloodlust has nothing on Michiko-chan's and certainly nothing on a jounin's. Yet Akio-san readied himself for an attack while you backed away even after I attacked you.

"Tell me, are you really a kunoichi? A kunoichi would've been ready at all times. A kunoichi doesn't make silly excuses for her mistakes. A kunoichi doesn't underestimate an enemy without even laying her eyes on them. What is so great about Michiko-chan, you ask? By now, Michiko-chan would've found a way to defeat me. She wouldn't have batted an eyelash at my weak bloodlust and certainly wouldn't have gotten scratch from my pathetic attack. The reason why she is still lying in bed was her skills in fuuinjutsu that saved both my life and Akio-san's. Yet you wish her dead for your own selfish purposes? It is rare that Akio-san and I agree on something, but I have to concur with his stated opinion.

"You have nothing on Michiko-chan. Not in attitude, not in strength, not in intelligence and certainly not in beauty. There is no comparing the two of you. If this is all you've got, then maybe your best hope truly is wishing Michiko-chan won't wake up."

Both Kaori and Akio gaped at Itachi. Itachi rarely spoke more than a sentence or two at a time and he was always polite and courteous. The lengthy, emotion-laden speech was delivered in a callous, steely and arctic tone. The sheer malice and malignancy was in complete contrast to Itachi's usual soft, calming tones.

"I-I-I-you-you-you aren't supposed to like her! She's even worse than Akio and she's a half-breed for god's sake! Her father was nothing and the Nara Council may like her now, but that's going to change with how irresponsible she's acting! Girls like her are just going to be career chuunin like their fathers and have even weaker kids until their bloodline dies out! Everything she can do, I can do and more! I don't need to see her to know that! I am Uchiha Kaori, granddaughter of an Uchiha Council member! My father is an extremely important member of the Uchiha police and my mother was a tokujou! I awakened my sharingan at nine and graduated the same year! That is the only proof I need! A poor, filthy mutt like that Nara girl could never match up to a thoroughbred like me so why are you defending her?! You're supposed to like me, not her! What would Fugaku-sama say if he knew you liked her?"

Itachi regarded her dispassionately. "So instead of proving me wrong, you decide to rant mindlessly and show your blatant self-entitlement with all the ugliness it should be accompanied with. Instead of improving, you run away from a difficult situation. Not to seek help, but to complain about it so someone else can do the work for you. Instead of trying to understand new possibilities in an impossible situation, you deny them for fear of a different answer other than your own. I can assure you that your assessment of the situation is heavily flawed and inaccurate as are your methods of playing this game. I highly recommend a strategy meeting and a change of game plans."

Kaori opened and closed her mouth a few times before words finally left. "But I'm-I'm-I'm going to win. I am going to win. I will win! It's impossible for me not to." Her voice was shook with obvious confusion and complete conviction. She was delusional, just repeating the lies her family had pumped into her. Itachi felt a faint sense of pity for her.

Itachi shook his head. "Whoever filled your head with those lies was wrong. It seems as if nothing will be accomplished today. Akio-san, should we head back together?"

Akio frowned. They never did anything together. "Fine."

Itachi walked to the Uchiha compound and Akio fell into stride with him.

"Akio-san, I dislike Kaori-san."

Akio snorted. "You sure as hell made that obvious."

"As far as I am aware, you feel the same."

"Duh. The bitch is fucking annoying."

"I know we haven't had the best of working relationships, but as it stands, Kaori-san's skills are nothing to scoff at, even if they are stale and predictable."

"Your point?"

"Michiko-chan's most valued asset is knowledge. When she is discharged, she would not have long to regain her strength. In the interest of aiding her, I suggest we form a temporary alliance until our rightful leader is able to return."

Itachi extended his hand. Akio frowned at the offending appendage and hesitated.

"Michiko-chan shouldn't be lying in bed. She should be with us. With Team 11. You're still a bastard and I hate you, but I hate Kaori even more."

Akio grasped Itachi's hand and they shook on it.

* * *

Akio was unhappy. No one gave a shit.

It was nothing he hadn't dealt with before. Akio was used to people not caring about him. His father hated him for being so weak and no one liked him. According to clan law, if no one in the family activated their sharingan in three generations, the fourth generation still had to stay in the compound, bound tightly by clan rules but they would not be considered Uchiha or be allowed to bare the clan name. In other words, their burdens would double but they would get no benefits. Being the only son with a sharingan-less grandfather and father, Akio had to activate the sharingan or his children would not be allowed to bare the Uchiha name.

Already, his sister's children would never be Uchiha. Being a girl from the lowest of families, Ayano would never get an education. It wasn't fair for her. Ayano wasn't a bastard like him. She wasn't like the other asshole Uchiha who sneered at everyone or the snobbish Uchiha girls who turned their nose up to anyone 'beneath' them. She was a sweet, innocent girl who liked to cook, hug puppies and other cute girl stuff. At the same time she was fun, bubbly girl who liked to play a little rough with her older brother and roll in the dirt. Ayano could fight well, for a civilian. She could throw a good punch, but she was so little, so vulnerable.

So he would show everyone. He would become a jounin, activate his sharingan and become well-respected. When he was strong and powerful, he could beat his useless father to the ground and he would be able to provide for Ayano properly. He would be able to give her the life she deserves and protect her from harm instead of his greedy father who always wanted to sell her off on a marriage contract.

For Ayano, he would be strong.

But lately, it hadn't all been about Ayano. When Michiko had come into his life, he'd thought her to be a weak kunoichi. The type that sneaked in the shadows and used dishonourable methods to win in lieu of their lack of fighting ability. But after she had plowed _Uchiha fucking Itachi_ to the ground, Akio had really begun to like her. Even if she wasn't a true girly girl, she was always there with a warm home-cooked meal or an encouraging word after a tough day. She could hold her own in a fight so he didn't need to protect her and she wasn't afraid of pain or dirt. She didn't try to flaunt herself like all the other girls or throw herself at the popular boys. She was smart enough to see through all their bullshit and bold enough to kick them in the balls if they tried anything.

She was strong but kind. Rough yet feminine. Caring and tough. Amazingly smart, but just as modest. Brave and cautious. She was the most perfect kunoichi Akio could ever imagine.

And because of her brave sacrifice and strength, she was being replaced by a stupid slut. Even Itachi, who was normally nice to everyone, had a hard time being around Kaori.

"Itachi-kun, I prepared a bento for you!" Itachi looked up from his spot under a tree. Akio quickly retreated behind a bush to look at the scene. Kaori held a slick black and red bento box with an Uchiha fan on the top, obviously expensive enough to buy an eight-course Akimichi gourmet dinner.

"My mother has already prepared a bento for me, Kaori-san."

Kaori pouted. "But I put in a lot of effort. It's the first bento I prepared for a boy, so could you try it?"

Itachi held his hand out and Kaori beamed so fakely Akio cringed. She placed the bento onto his hands. And- wait. Wasn't Kaori's mother supposed to be some poison specialist? Akio hesitated for a moment but then thought of Michiko, lying in her hospital bed and dumped his bento into the bushes without a second thought. He didn't care about Itachi, he really didn't, but he was sure Michiko would find out somehow and whoop his ass or give one of those disappointed looks that made him feel like a total piece of shit.

"Hey, Itachi!"

"Ayano-san didn't make you a bento?"

Akio shrugged. "She looked busy so I told her she didn't need to."

Itachi obviously got his plan. "Then it's just nice. Kaori-san prepared an extra bento."

Kaori gaped for a second before catching herself and settling for a much more presentable frown. "But I prepared it specially for you, Itachi-kun."

"I will try it, but it might be better to have a second opinion."

"But it's Akio! He's so-" Itachi shot a warning look at Kaori. "I mean, I'm afraid that he might have some bias against me and that would affect his judgement."

"Hmph. You probably just poisoned the bento. That's why you're so insistent, right?" Anger flashed across her eyes before Kaori could reign it all in.

"I don't have to explain myself to a peasant."

Akio smirked. "If you didn't poison the bento, a taste wouldn't hurt. Besides, you gave the bento to Itachi without any conditions. This means he can do whatever he wants with it."

Kaori looked down at Akio. "I just don't want all my hard work to be consume by a peon."

Akio sneered at Kaori and took the bento from Itachi, picking up a piece of fried egg and chewing. "Ayano makes one everyday and she's more than happy for me to share. So you're saying that my 'lowly, uncultured and uneducated' little sister can do better than you? You always say my sister's cheap, but talk's free and you're nothing but talk."

Kaori was radiating waves of outrage by now, the pathetic 'sophisticated, elite lady' charade abandoned as her cheeks tinted red.

"Are you implying that I am inferior to _you_? I am Uchiha Kaori, the-"

Akio rolled his eyes. "Just shut up, you bimbo. You've been repeating that since day one and guess what? People know who your granddad is and _maybe_ who your parents are, but no one gives a shit about you. You haven't accomplished a single thing and you're just riding on Daddy and Mummy's achievements. You're not even in the bingo book, so except for those super paranoid ninja who memorise everyone in the village, no one knows you at all."

"I'm only 12! I just haven't had the chance! I am destined to do something great while you are born a loser! When I become Uchiha matriarch, I won't wait a few generations for your bloodline to peter out. The first thing I'll do is kick you out of the clan!"

Akio snorted. Kaori scrunched her face in disgust when grains of rice and bits of egg flew out of his mouth as he talked. "Yeah right. You? Uchiha matriarch? Ayano has more of a chance than you do. There's no way in hell Itachi would marry someone like you."

"So what? Fugaku-sama feels that I am the best candidate bride! The Uchiha clan head has the final say in all Uchiha marriages!"

"Pft. Do you even know a single thing about your target? Itachi's not that stupid or 'noble'. He'll find a way to weasel out of it and if he can't, Michiko-chan will figure out how."

"Are you implying that an obsolete branch member of the Nara clan, a half- _civilian_ of a vassal clan, is superior to the heir of our noble clan of Uchiha who founded this village? Such talk is blasphemy! I'll report to my grandfather and-"

"Yeah, yeah. Same old, same old. Why don't you do something about it yourself instead of whining to your grandpa or the clan head? Then again, I won't want the pretty little princess to get hurt while actually doing something, would I? But since you're all talk, would it kill you to come up with an original argument for once? If you're too dumb for that, at least copy a good insult."

Kaori's entire face was flushed right till the tips of her ears. "What does that-"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Everyone jumped as a jounin appeared right in the middle of the group. Both Itachi and Akio dropped their bento and went for their kunai while Kaori, seeing as she wasn't carrying anything, was already in the process of throwing shuriken. The jounin sighed and suddenly everyone froze in place.

"Genin are always so trigger happy."

"Nara Shikaku-sama." Itachi greeted. Kaori repeated the greeting a second later. Shikaku released his jutsu and the genin put their weapons away.

"Yes, you are interrupting something. Why are you here? You only ever appear when things are getting 'troublesome'." asked Akio.

Kaori glared at Akio. "Do you have to be a disrespectful little ingrate all the time? You are speaking to Nara Shikaku-sama, head of the Nara clan! At least have the courtesy to pretend to be a relatively civilised monkey."

Shikaku sighed again and waved Kaori off. "I don't mind. Anyways, I came to tell you that Michiko just woke up a couple minutes ago. No major damage, she should be discharged soon."

"Michiko-chan's awake?! Seriously? Final-fucking-ly!" Akio yelled. "Can we go see her now?"

Kaori frowned. "Your teammate has just woken up and you're going to bother her? What kind of-"

Shikaku interrupted. "Yes, you can go see her. I think she'd like to see the two of you."

Akio frowned at that. Being an manic workaholic, Michiko would no doubt like a full report on Kaori's abilities as fast as possible and an accurate situation assessment to construct a perfect plan. Akio didn't want Michiko to start working the moment she woke up, but he knew she would be pissed if they didn't go. No one liked a bitchy Michiko.

Itachi nodded. "Very well. Akio-san and I will head to the hospital immediately."

"But what about practice, Itachi-kun? We need to meet the schedule."

Did she really think she was that important or was she just delusional? Michiko was awake _right now_. Who cared about practice? But before he could start yelling at her, Itachi stepped in.

"I'm afraid that as far as I am concerned, today's practice is cancelled. It would not do to offend Michiko-chan. Naturally, you are free to continue training if you wish. Goodbye and I wish you a pleasant day."

Without waiting for Kaori's reply, Itachi and Akio took to the treetops, intent on reporting back to Michiko.

* * *

Kaori loved Uchiha Itachi. No one realised just how much.

Kaori's path had always been crystal clear to her. She was a genius, not Itachi's level, but a genius nonetheless. Both her parents were specialists and her grandparents were all prominent Uchiha. Her elder brother was only fifteen, but he was already a tokubetsu jounin and would undoubtedly become jounin in a few years. Her little sister, while only a little above average in the ninja arts, was shaping up to be the perfect Uchiha wife and would also do her part in bringing their family glory.

And just like the rest of her family, Kaori would be irrefutably successful. The moment she laid her eyes on him, Kaori knew she would become the Uchiha matriarch.

Uchiha Itachi was the clan heir and legend of the Uchiha. He was destined for greatness and would raise their clan to heights unlike any before. It was all but written in the Uchiha gospel and repeated in every meeting, to every woman and child. He was perfection in every way. With his pure noble blood and peerless intellect, he would be the perfect clan head. With his overwhelming strength and calm disposition, he would be the perfect ninja. With his effortless beauty and gentlemanly nature, he would be the perfect husband.

With their noble blood, undeniable power and flawless beauty, they were the perfect match. The strongest Uchiha shinobi and the strongest Uchiha kunoichi would surely sire many more well-bred geniuses. Their families were proof that success ran through blood. She would win his heart with her strength and beauty and in return, he would give his heart to her. He would ask for her hand in marriage and they would begin the most romantic Uchiha courting process ever.

Kaori could see it already. He would hold his hand out for her and they would attend the most exclusive events together with linked arms. He would constantly charm her with perfect gifts suited exactly to her tastes, be attentive to her every need and cherish her as his wife. At times he would be a little reticent, so she would talk instead. He may be shy about the physical, so she would help him with that as well. Anything that her sweet, kind and pure Itachi didn't want to do, Kaori would do. She wasn't afraid of doing dirty work for her man.

It was a classic 'opposites attract' situation. They would have a perfect life together. They were _destined_ for each other. He belonged to her and no one could get in the way of their pure love. Why couldn't he see something so simple?

Kaori had been confused at first and pondered the question for the better part of a month before realising that the answer was as simple as the problem. Itachi couldn't see it because something was obstructing his vision. And that thing was Nara Michiko. Somehow, someway, that shameless girl had managed to corrupt Itachi's pure perfection with her lies about 'freedom'.

Nara Michiko's only strength was her natural Shadow Mind and the gifts her clan gave her. The only reason she had any power at all was by a fluke of nature that somehow gave her the natural Shadow Mind. In her arrogance, she failed to realise this and actually thought her 'strength' was hers. Girls like her were stupid. If your clan shunned you, you were at the bottom of the hierarchy with no status, no money and no power. Without your clan, you were nothing. Kaori had realised this truth ages ago and she longed to beat the girl up. Once she lost, the Nara would surely cut their losses and abandon her, leaving Kaori victorious as she finally learned her lesson. Then, Michiko would finally realise that she shouldn't have caused all that trouble and should've taken the arranged marriage when she had the chance.

The clan-less were powerless. And the powerless were little more than walking corpses.

That was how it would go. Michiko was an obstruction, a nuisance. She was trying to steal Itachi from her. She was trying to corrupt Itachi's purity with her filth and poison his mind against the clan. Because of her, Kaori's competence had been called to question. Because of her, Kaori's previously undisputed status as top candidate bride was looking shaky. Because of her, Kaori had been subjected to hellish training over the last three months.

For Uchiha Kaori, failure wasn't unacceptable. It was impossible. Itachi was hers and anyone who got in her way would be eliminated.


	10. Resolution?

"How are you feeling, Michiko-chan? We missed you!" Akio's usual scowl cleared up as he grinned at Michiko.

Itachi and Akio stood before Michiko. Muscle and chakra atrophy aside, she didn't look like she'd been in a coma. She sat perfectly poised in her hospital bed, a scroll on her lap, a brush in her hand and an ink pot by her side. Her hair was longer, just above her elbows, and out of its usual messy bun. She was paler and looked a little more fragile with her smaller chakra presence, but the glint in her eyes and the smirk on her lips were exactly the same.

"I feel just fine. I am due to be discharged tomorrow and I'd dearly like to check my physical conditioning. How have you boys been holding up?"

Akio's scowl returned. "They replaced you with some whore, but now that you're awake, you can beat her up and show her who's boss! She's so fucking annoying and she's always all over Itachi! Even Itachi blew up after a month and yelled at her!"

Michiko's amused smile lit up her face. "Her talents must be substantial then."

"Yeah! The two of us managed to get a ton of info on her."

Michiko's smile widened into something distinctly feline. "Oh? The 'two of us'?"

Akio flushed. "It's just that Kaori's super annoying and Itachi's annoying too, but he isn't trying to kill you. Well, except for that stabbing incident, but he didn't really want to kill you and he's not that bad. I mean, he is still horrible, but like not Kaori-horrible and-"

Michiko giggled. "You're rambling. It's fine. I'm proud of you."

"-Kaori's just- wait, what?"

Michiko smiled gently. "I'm proud of you, Akio. You're growing up."

Akio gaped for a moment before engaging in a full body blush and looking away, mumbling to his feet. "I guess Itachi isn't so bad and he can _sometimes_ be okay when he doesn't act all posh."

Michiko nodded approvingly. "Good. But I'm afraid you aren't allowed to stay for long. Itachi, report."

Itachi straightened up at the command.

"The Uchiha Council got impatient in your absence and made a deal with Shikaku-sama. You are to battle a replacement of Uchiha Fugaku's choice to decide Team 11's roster before the Sunagakure chuunin examination in January.

"The temporary replacement for you is Uchiha Kaori. She is part of the Red Army council and is currently considered the top candidate bride for me. However, she displays a lack of emotional self-control and her mentality is that of a child, making her unsuited as both a kunoichi and the future Lady Uchiha. Nevertheless, she is the granddaughter of an Uchiha Council member and her bloodline is flawless. She is the top Uchiha kunoichi in our generation and the Uchiha Council relish the idea of a generation of geniuses enough to overlook her poor conduct.

"But since her main merit is her strength and success, if you defeat her, she should lose enough favour for her position to be lost. Your battle is also doubly important as it determines our jounin sensei. Arakida-sensei is presumed dead and our new sensei has yet to be decided as the Uchiha demand an Uchiha jounin to replace him. It has been decided that if you win, their argument of an 'all Uchiha team' would no longer be valid thus the Konoha Council will pick a suitable replacement. Naturally, if you lose, the Uchiha get to decide."

"Shikaku-sama told me as much. I know of Uchiha Kaori's circumstances, but what of her physical abilities?"

"They are considerable, I would say top Class C. Apparently she was held back from taking the chuunin exams by her teammates and the clan would like to take this opportunity to have her promoted. But her training is purely Uchiha through and through and she is resistant to learning anything outside of commonly accepted training for Uchiha kunoichi.

"Her attacks are more powerful than they are fast. Her physical strength is around 70% of Akio's and her speed is 30% of mine. But her resistance to change has led her style to become predictable and she is prone to habitual bias. She has a heavy reliance on reflexes and simply overpowering her opponent so she rushes into battle often with little to no plans. Though she is capable of trickery and can come up with good strategies, she chooses not to utilise this ability and when she does, her plans are one dimensional with no backups.

"Her only elemental release is fire and she knows no jutsu that I don't already know. She seems to be starting to learn the Earth Release and hasn't completed her training. You should have no trouble shaking of her genjutsu and her taijutsu is average, around my level when I was a fresh genin, though her shurikenjutsu is fairly accurate.

"She trains mainly with her mother and has recently started using poisons. I have personally checked her inventory and it doesn't seem as if she has anything you aren't resistant to. I was able to get a sample of her blood two weeks ago and Shikaku-sama confirmed that she has yet to start building up her own resistance to poisons. Overall, she is physically stronger than you, but she has a weak mind and predictable tactics. She is not an opponent you would have trouble with." Itachi took out a scroll from his pack. "I have written down further details in the Class B Information Security Scroll you handed me. This ends my summary on the current situation."

Michiko nodded. "With this information, I should be able to defeat her with ease." But what Itachi heard was:

 _You performed well in my absence and read my intentions without direct orders._

Itachi nodded at the unspoken commendation. "It was all I could do. Akio-san, let us leave Michiko-chan to her plotting."

Akio grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll kick her ass!"

Michiko smirked. "It's a promise."

And finally, Team 11 was united under the same cause.

* * *

It was a month, one week and two days later that the battle between Uchiha Kaori and Nara Michiko commenced.

The turnout was huge. The tension within the Uchiha compound as well as the skirmishes between them and the Nara were far from missed. Every paranoid and interested ninja gathered to the Great Konoha Ninja Stadium, that had been booked specially for this event by the Uchiha Drama Queens. Officially, it was to 'evaluate future potential allies or threats', but in reality, ninja were just the world's worst gossips and busybodies and most of them were chuunin looking for some quick entertainment.

As a former Yamanaka, Arakida Noa knew this very well.

Noa wasn't quite sure why she was here. Out of all his students, Seishiro had liked Michiko the most. His genin team was one of the most discussed subjects in their household of two and Seishiro was always so poetic about it. Itachi was described as a burning flame in the dark, the kind that burned twice as bright as everyone else, but lasted half as long. Akio was a bland darkness. A self-destructive boy would knew only to take, take, take and destroy, who longed for a kindness and a home that never was. But Michiko? She was ANBU just like Seishiro. They were Shadow Ninja. Nameless protectors who could never be true heroes.

Noa had always been bitter about it. She had tried to understand her husband's need to protect at all costs. But as Seishiro always said, she wasn't like him. In her years as a Yamanaka, she found that she couldn't do espionage, interrogation or anything that the clan specialised in, despite her proficiency in the clan jutsu.

Maybe that was why she was here. To see the little girl her ANBU husband had called comrade.

The referee for the match had been a really minor point of contention, but they had settled on Aburame Shibi. Shibi was a talented ninja and his abilities were respected by all. Being from the noble clan of Aburame who were renowned for their neutrality and sound logic, his reputation and credibility were solid and trustworthy, making him an ideal referee.

"This is the match between Uchiha Kaori and Nara Michiko. The victor shall remain on Team 11 and determine the jounin sensei of Team 11. Would any of the participants like to surrender?"

"Negative."

"No."

"Then I shall go over the rules.

"The participants are Uchiha Kaori and Nara Michiko. This is not to be changed at any point of time.

"No one is to leave the stadium's bounds at any time during the match. This includes the Uchiha and Nara Councils.

"No one is to enter the stadium's bounds at any time during the match.

"No non-participants are allowed within the battlefield area with the exception of the referee.

"No traps, jutsu or any other tools that may or may not aid the participants are to be set up before the match begins.

"The participants are not to receive any aid from non-participants.

"Any damage caused to the stadium walls will be paid in full by the participants.

"No lethal techniques are to be used.

"Participants may surrender by saying the words 'I surrender' at any point of time during the match.

"Participants will battle until one side is unable to continue, surrenders, is rendered unable to surrender, or the referee stops the match. In the last aforementioned scenario, the referee shall determine the outcome of the match.

"In the event of the death of one or more participant(s), the referee shall determine the outcome based on circumstances.

"In a circumstance not mentioned above, the referee shall decide the outcome.

"The referee's decisions are final and indisputable.

"Failure to abide by these rules will result in an automatic loss.

"Is any more clarification or modification of the rules required?"

The last question was opened up to the audience. Shibi waited for five seconds and continued when no one objected.

"If there are no objections, then the match shall start when this rock hits the ground." Shibi picked up a rock from the stadium ground.

Uchiha Kaori got into a ninjutsu 'ready' position with her knees spaced apart and hands in front of her. Noa could tell that the kunai pouches around her lower legs were a new addition and that the style of her clothing and equipment were carefully chosen for the match. She carried a determined glint in her eyes as she glared ferociously at Michiko, her body locked into position as she prepared for the biggest fight of her life.

In contrast, Nara Michiko kept her arms and ankles crossed. The neutral line of her lips, droopy eyes with dark circles, and casual stance exuded disinterest. She looked more like a street rat than a favoured clan kid. Though her pack was half-opened and everything was meticulously prepared, Noa got the impression that this was something routine to her rather than a special event, especially if she was as paranoid as Seishiro made her out to be. Her dishevelled, senbon-riddled hair, chakra ink-stained hands and dirty clothing suggested that she hadn't bothered to change from her fuuinjutsu experiments. That this was just another troublesome but compulsory appointment on her schedule.

Both could be illusions, but since this was a genin matching with an audience of jounin, Noa doubted it. Unless the Uchiha girl was crazily strong, Noa knew who would win. With the rumours and confirmed sightings of Nara Michiko defeating Uchiha Itachi, Noa doubted she was wrong. Then again, maybe Michiko was just overconfident or pretending. She had been in a three month coma with only a month to recover and Seishiro had said that Michiko was talented at hiding her weaknesses and sniffing them out in others.

Aburame Shibi threw the rock into the air. Kaori activated her sharingan and stared at the rock while Michiko didn't even glance at it. Noa noted the double tomoe. Impressive for a twelve-year-old.

The rock hit the ground and Kaori flew through hand seals. Michiko retreated. She had chosen the spot of the stadium the was shadowed by the tall walls.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!" Flames shaped in a dragon rushed towards Michiko, the casual use of the B-rank technique more common in jounin than genin. Michiko didn't bat an eyelash and flooded the shadows with her chakra. By flooding the shadows with her chakra, she made them opaque and thus the sharingan couldn't see the fuuinjutsu patterns clearly because her chakra was everywhere. A single rat seal and the flames dispersed against an invisible barrier. Kaori fired off two more fire techniques, both of which dispersed when it hit the barrier. Kaori used the time to close the distance, probably aiming to disrupt the barrier. A barrier that quick and easy was likely temporary and fragile.

Kaori threw a dozen poisoned shuriken consecutively. Michiko made a couple of hand motions that couldn't really be classified as hand seals and dodged the shuriken easily, some of them shattering in mid-flight by her shadows. It was either a trick, the barrier had collapsed or only kept out chakra attacks. The last option was the most likely as shadows shot out when Kaori tried to close the distance. Kaori's best course of action was to finish it fast. If she waited too long, Michiko would have time to set up more complex barriers and with the complexity of fuuinjutsu, it was unlikely that Kaori knew how to counter them even if she had spent the last three months solely on fuuinjutsu theory. She could try to drag it out as Michiko's techniques were clearly chakra intensive and she was likely still recovering, but it was too risky for a high stakes match.

"Blazing Shuriken Dance!" Kaori threw another twenty poisoned shuriken in a wide arc and set them on fire. Michiko frowned and made a nonsensical sequence of hand seals, probably to disguise the ones actually needed. The flames of the shuriken vanished and the shuriken bounced off the barrier and shattered, the metal shards bouncing off the barrier as well. The barrier was modified to keep out physical attacks as it was unlikely that Michiko could control so many metal shards. Michiko took out a few scrolls and opened them. It became evident that they were scarily efficient storage scrolls when she pulled out a 5 meter tall tree with her shadows and threw it at Kaori.

And Kaori reflexively set it on fire.

It was a terrible rookie mistake as Kaori realised three seconds later when Michiko pulled out three more trees. They all caught on fire. The Uchiha had chosen the midday sun to put the Nara at a disadvantage, but that meant that the sun was brighter than the chakra fire and it cast shadows all over the stadium. Michiko's shadows snaked outwards, expanding their territory with the same chakra cost thanks to the increased shadows. Kaori could barely dodge them all and was immediately pushed into defensive.

The shadows between the logs connected and were quickly forming a fuuinjutsu of sorts. Recognising this, Kaori ran up the walls to avoid the shadows. The shadows chased her as she threw poisoned shuriken backwards with some kunai with exploding tags mixed in. They were ineffective as they slammed against the barrier. Noa frowned. To maintain a B-class barrier while creating new fuuinjutsu, utilising new shadows, adjusting to the unpredictability of the fire's movements and chasing Kaori not only require a lot of chakra control, but a taxing amount of chakra as well. This would be a quick battle.

While thin tendrils of shadow kept Kaori busy, Michiko extended her shadows to capture the circumference on the stadium, trapping Kaori to the walls. Those shadows started forming and connecting with patterns across the stadium floor and it was clear what Michiko's intentions were: to form a stadium wide barrier. Once it was formed, Michiko's victory would almost certainly be assured as the whole stadium, with the shadows, her barrier and her chakra saturation everywhere, would be her territory.

Knowing that she had seconds before her defeat, Kaori created a shadow clone. Noa raised her eyebrows at the forbidden technique. Wasn't this supposed to be a battle between baby genin? The shadow clone jumped down into the shadows. Before it was completely consumed, Kaori used it as a stepping stone and recalled the chakra before Michiko could disperse it. She repeated the technique a few times in a last ditch effort to close the distance. It was risky with lots of chakra investment. If Michiko popped a shadow clone, Kaori would fall into the shadows and if she didn't, she wouldn't be able to recall the chakra and the shadow clone jutsu was one of the most chakra taxing jutsu.

But Kaori had nothing to lose and managed to pull it off. She entered Michiko's shadowed territory with five shadow clones as support. She threw even more shuriken at Michiko and Michiko dodged them all. Michiko's shadows instantly attacked the shadow clones. Two of them burst, costing Kaori a lot of chakra she couldn't really afford while the others attacked. Michiko was a lot faster than Kaori, easily dodging her bulky fire jutsu and Kaori's shurikenjutsu was turned against her with Michiko controlling two more of her shadow clones and their attacks, rendering Kaori less able to attack in return. Kaori recalled them before they burst and produced four more shadow clones. Despite the chakra tax, Michiko was getting more powerful as she could recall a lot of her shadows from the walls to focus on barriers and close combat with Kaori so close to her. Kaori didn't have the luxury as she struggled to constantly recall and produce more shadow clones between attacks, her attacks growing more haphazard.

Suddenly, Michiko jerked to avoid an invisible attack. The shadow clone and 'original' dispelled and the invisible attacker was revealed to be Kaori, who swayed on her knees. Shadows enveloped her in half a second as Kaori stumbled. It had been a sneak attack. Utilising the darkness of the shadows, Kaori used the 'Transparent Escape Technique' to conceal herself against the wall when Michiko was distracted with making the barrier. She used an earth jutsu to slowly travel across the wall to Michiko while distracting her from paying attention to her outside shadows and caused Michiko to withdraw some of her shadows. While acting like she was being pushed to the corner, she sneaked up upon Michiko to deliver the last blow.

"How?" Kaori asked, the poisoned metal shards from her own shuriken were embedded all over her legs. She obviously hadn't developed an immunity to her own poisons. Michiko's shadows formed a protective seal over her temple as she slammed her the blunt end of a kunai into her temple. Kaori mirrored her action and collapsed, unconscious.

"The winner of the match is Nara Michiko." Shibi declared. It was an unequivocal victory as Michiko only suffered a few scraps from dodging. Kaori had made a good showing with her skills in katon and shurikenjutsu as well as her sneak attack. She was undoubtedly high chuunin level. But Michiko's sheer skill in manipulating shadows was easily jounin level. Her fuuinjutsu, strategy and flexible style made her an unusually specialised eleven-year-old and all together, she was at least tokujou level. She had stood in roughly the same area for most of the match, so Noa couldn't give an accurate assessment of her abilities, but her speed was remarkable even though she only had a one month recovery time. Had this been a chuunin exam match, both would've been promoted.

In other words, Kaori's performance was amazing, but Michiko's was even more so.

Displeasure radiated from the Uchiha as majority of them had gotten a free day off to watch the match. One Uchiha Council member, Kaori's grandfather if Noa remembered correctly, stood up.

"Kaori was able to hide herself seamlessly in the stadium walls. How did you detect her?" Ah, here came the accusations of cheating. Uchiha were world-class sore losers.

"I'm a sensor type." Michiko stated blandly. The unspoken '-you idiot' at the end of the sentence was heard clearly by everyone. Noa could feel the amusement level in the stadium shoot up. The Uchiha were never popular largely due to their arrogant and condescending attitudes. Many snubbed ninja took great pleasure at seeing a mighty Uchiha Council member get taken down a peg or two by a tiny, nonchalant, lowborn genin.

"I find it hard to believe that you could cast a stadium-wide barrier while simultaneously maintaining a pure chakra defence barrier, attacking Kaori with shadows, dodging her close-ranged attacks and expanding your jutsu." Basically, he suspected that she had placed barriers beforehand.

Michiko raised her eyebrows. "I can. I also did it in front of a bunch of Uchiha, Hyuuga, Yamanaka, Aburame and many other chakra detecting specialists."

The council member's lip's pursued. To continue down that argument would be questioning the abilities of not only his own clan, but many other prominent clans. It was a mistake not even rookie genin would make.

"Nonetheless, searching for a sneak attack that likely won't have happened should've been low on your priorities."

Michiko shrugged. "The shadows were a sensing device, not a barrier. I detected her from the beginning. The fancy patterns were just cosmetics." Noa blinked at the new information. That would mean that Michiko's plan all along was to draw Kaori into close combat and Michiko was a long-ranged combatant.

The Uchiha took a few seconds to digest this information. "If you truly could create such a large-scale battle barrier with all the distractions, why didn't you?"

Michiko crossed her arms, her blasé expression having remained unchanged throughout the whole match. In fact, it somehow managed to look even more bored.

"I could, but I didn't want to waste chakra. I was in the middle of something important and have more experiments to run. Pushing the schedule back even more would be troublesome." The girl acted as if she had more important things to do and treated the Uchiha as if they were trivial. Roaring laughter and snickers could be heard from all over the stadium. The implication that the whole matter, that the Uchiha, wasn't important was hilarious even to Noa who didn't have anything against the Uchiha. The Uchiha Council member and many other Uchiha looked outraged.

"Enough." Fugaku declared. Accompanied with a firm look, the council member obeyed the clan head and reluctantly sat back down. "The Uchiha shall accept the loss with grace." The order toned down the glares, but it was clear the Uchiha were going to be sore over this for a long time. They were unmatched by none other than the Hyuuga in the grudge-holding department, after all. Despite his order, Fugaku stared down at Michiko from the stands and Michiko fearlessly met his eyes, an unmistakable challenge issued and accepted.

Michiko had made a grievous enemy of the Uchiha.

"Oh, that's great. I'm not needed anymore." Michiko commented offhandedly. With that, she lackadaisical strolled out of the burning stadium, seemingly indifferent and oblivious to the exchange, but someone who could get so tangled up in politics and win battles before they started couldn't be so ignorant.

Only the Nara could cause such a huge exhibition with so little effort.

* * *

"Hey, beautiful. You sure kicked ass back there! It must be super hard to be stuck on a team with _two_ Uchiha!" Michiko looked up from a luckily not-so-important seal in her _private_ training ground to see suitor no. 9. One Sarutobi Yuuma, in fact. The eldest son of a mid-upper-class, well-respected Sarutobi family. Not a bad match for an arranged marriage and obviously his parents saw that.

"May I ask for a name?"

Yuuma rubbed the back of his head. "Oops, I guess I got too excited. I'm Sarutobi Yuuma! A chuunin, as you can tell. Nice to meet you, Michiko-chan!"

Michiko gave a polite smile back. "I would like to return the sentiment, but I'm afraid I have around 40 seconds before my seal destabilises."

Yuuma gulped, obviously having been warned about her fuuinjutsu experiments. So his parents had researched her abilities, but didn't do enough in-depth research on her personality before throwing him at her.

"I guess I'll leave you to it then. When is it convenient?"

Michiko's smile turned politely apologetic and she looked back at her work, swirling her brush across the paper skilfully. "My schedule is dependent on my work and my work is unpredictable. You'll have to try your luck next time. But if you see me around the village, feel free to give me a shout. There is a 70% chance that I would not be doing anything urgent or top priority."

Yuuma nodded, but his chakra and subconscious body language revealed his nervousness. "Right. I'll see you around. Bye, Michiko-chan!" Michiko smiled and nodded as Yuuma left. The moment he did, she allowed her eyes to twitch in irritation and she ground her teeth. Truthfully, the seal would've destabilised, but it probably would've just caused certain components to evaporate and produce harmless smoke.

After the whole fiasco, she was hailed as a genius. Not a prodigy like Itachi, but talented. The spar had been seen as her 'debut' though it was usually the chuunin exams or inter village tournaments. And for a kunoichi like her, that sort of debut brought marriage proposals.

An arranged marriage was between parents and clans. It always came with a brideprice/dowry and lots of negotiation. If both the parents and clan accept, the courtship would begin. Acceptance was usually based on brideprice/dowry and social standing. The clan's acceptance depended on a few things: the danger of clan secrets being leaked, the danger of kekkai genkai being leaked, the benefits the clan would receive from the union, the relation of the parties from the main family and so on.

Basically, the major liberal clans took a look at her profile and went: "Hmm… Young talented girl… Easy to mold… Naive, impoverished civilian mother… Simple to convince… Diluted non-kekkei genkai bloodline… Straightforward negotiations… Perfect for letting new blood into the clan!"

Michiko had anticipated something like this. By purposefully humiliating the Uchiha, she had intended to gain some favour, but not on this scale. She had underestimated their unpopularity and it had backfired on her. Even the more conservative clans were scouting her. Not for marriage, but for future favours. While it opened up many new avenues, she had to wade through _a lot_ of nonsense to get to the gems. Even though she had only received half a dozen proposals or so, she was losing hours of work everyday because of politics, meaninglessly lengthy social interactions and having to plaster even more seals all over her house and Aina because some clans could try to pull something and Aina was a civilian. She'd contacted Shikaku to ensure his cooperation. Some could try to rush the process so Shikaku would stall them until Michiko could get to the bottom of the problem because Aina would never, under any circumstances, allow a marriage against her will.

This would not do. She could accept the Nara's standing proposal for a handler for her training ground, but she would give up too much privacy and freedom and her plans were dependent on those elements. Not to mention that the handler would report back to the council. She needed someone loyal, willing and capable enough to do their job and keep her secrets. Itachi wasn't capable of standing guard 24/7 because of his duties, using Shisui on a menial task would be a waste of resources (not to mention he reported everything back to the Hokage) and she didn't want anyone to know about her other contacts.

That left one last option and Michiko wasn't quite sure if it would be beneficial or detrimental in the long run.

But then she sensed suitor no. 10 approaching, a _Shimura_ suitor, and she made her decision.


	11. Civilian

7-year-old Uchiha Ayano heard the bell ring and frowned. They didn't get visitors often so it was probably one of Nii-san's friends. She turned off the sink and placed down the dishes before realising that she looked way too messy and flustered to be presentable. She redid her long curly hair into a ponytail, clipped her bangs to her left and wiped off her sweat. Realising that it was probably Michiko and she'd rather get on with business, Ayano quickly abandoned her efforts and hurried to the door.

"Hello, Ayano-san."

Ayano grinned enthusiastically. "Michiko-san! I'll go get Nii-san." Michiko had come to their house a couple of times and they had bonded over the idiocy of Uchiha boys, pig-headed clan elitists and silly clan traditions. Really, you'd think Akio would notice by now.

Ayano scampered up the stairs and knocked on Akio's door. They had a two-story house that was probably nice to Michiko but was actually pretty small for the Uchiha. Even though they were of a poor status, they were still Uchiha and the Uchiha felt that no one with their name should live like the other 'plebeians'. Since she was technically ninja nobility, Ayano was comfortable even at the bottom of the ladder.

"Nii-san! Michiko-san is here!" There was a thud, some shuffling noises followed by something dropping, a yelp and a few more seconds of scrambling noises before a shirtless Akio appeared at the doorway looking frazzled.

"Wah?"

"Michiko-san's here."

Akio blinked before looking panicked. "What! Michiko-chan is here? But I- I-" He gestured at his unpresentable state.

Ayano giggled. "I don't think Michiko-san's gonna care, Nii-san. She isn't exactly big on fashion and beauty, ya know. I'm pretty sure the only reason she doesn't go 'round naked is because clothes are useful and she doesn't wanna get arrested."

"Michiko-chan naked? I-" Akio blushed and slapped himself. "Anyway, do your Nii-san a favour and distract her, 'kay? I'll get you new takoyaki stuff if you do." Without waiting for an answer, Akio ducked back into his room and slammed the door shut.

Ayano shook her head and sighed. "Stupid boys."

Ayano headed downstairs to see Michiko standing in the middle of the living area reading a book.

"You can sit on the couch, ya know." Ayano offered.

Michiko shrugged. "It's a quick visit so I didn't shower before coming here. I'd dirty your couch and you're the one who has to clean up." Michiko was covered in a black sooty powder and the only reason she didn't track black footprints about was because she had washed her feet only. Ayano could see the clear line a few inches above Michiko's ankles where she had dunked her feet in water before coming over. It was still correct to insist on giving her a seat for the few minutes and spend the next hour or two cleaning the couch, but Ayano knew that Michiko didn't give two shits care about politeness when it didn't suit her.

"I see. Nii-san's gonna be here in a couple minutes."

Michiko nodded, her eyes not leaving her book as she pulled out a small scroll with one hand, flicked it open and activated a storage seal. A small wooden chair popped out and Michiko sat on it. Even with her meagre chakra knowledge, Ayano knew that the chair was chakra saturated. Konoha wood was very good at absorbing chakra and the wood was more black than brown with ink. Michiko rolled up the scroll with the help of momentum and placed it in her backpack.

"You carry a chair about?"

"You never know when a chair's been trapped. People also don't appreciate it when I dirty everything so I have an outdoor, indoor and combat chair."

"Combat chair?"

Michiko smirked. "Purely for tournaments and showing off. I wanted to use it against Uchiha Kaori, but I decided that that would be an overkill to the Uchiha's pride."

Ayano giggled girlishly. "The Uchiha are really pissed, ya know? Dad comes home every day and rants about you to Nii-san and Nii-san gets so pissed. They fight so much that Nii-san's only ever home in the afternoon."

"You seem pretty happy for being in the middle of a family dispute."

"Oh, when it happens every day, you get used to it, ya know? If it ain't about you, it's about how Nii-san should suck up to Itachi-sama. If it ain't about him, it's about Nii-san's not good enough skills. If it ain't about that either, it's about my uselessness in marriage and it just goes on and on. Dad's gonna kick him out as soon as it doesn't look heartless, ya know?"

"A year or two then. Any plans?"

Ayano smiled happily. "Nope! But you do."

Michiko sighed. "Your nii-san is a troublesome boy. It's a wonder how the same household can have such a happy daughter and an angsty son."

Ayano shrugged. "Apparently Mum was super cheery too and Dad wasn't so trigger happy when he was with Mum. Then Mum kicked the bucket. Dad never really got over it and everything went downhill from there. Maybe I got it from Mum and life's too short to get mad at everything anyway. Gotta enjoy the time you've got, ya know?"

"Of course. Ayano-san, do me a favour, would you?"

Ayano blinked in surprise. "What?"

In the span of that blink, Michiko was out of the chair, throwing a punch at her. Ayano instantly fell back and the punch missed narrowly. Ayano flailed and Michiko caught the fist that Ayano swung wildly at her.

The scene froze. Ayano blinked again.

"What was zat for?"

Michiko smirked and released her. Ayano stumbled back. "One of my plans. Say, Ayano-san, how do you feel about being a kunoichi?"

Ayano blinked extra slow this time. "Wah?"

Michiko smiled patiently and also repeated her question extra slow. "Ayano-san, how do you feel about being a kunoichi?"

Ayano blinked a few more times mega slowly. Just to make sure. "Err… I dunno? Never really thought about it. It'd be great, I guess. But my chakra skills sucks ba- I mean, are bad and I can't do shi- anything with kunai. I suck at the sneaky kunoichi shi- stuff too. Plus, I don't really wanna kill people."

Michiko smiled. "There's more to being a kunoichi than that. If you can stick to my training program, I'll show you someone who'll teach you how to punch through rock and demolish a training ground with a kick. You won't be killing anyone, just a few forests."

Ayano grinned wildly. "That sounds hella fun!"

Michiko smiled, pleased. "Here's a schedule of the time we need to meet. You're free in the afternoons, right?" Ayano took the offered scroll gently and firmly.

"Yep!"

"Excellent. Don't let your family find out." Michiko looked up to where Akio's room is. "Akio is taking an awfully long time."

Ayano crackled. "He was busy. Ya know, doing 'grown-up' stuff."

Michiko smirked. "He knows I'm a sensor type. You'd think he'd know that I'd know. He shouldn't have bothered."

"Oh, he knows you don't care. But you know boys. Have to be all macho and shi-stuff."

Michiko sighed. "I just hope he'll get over the angsty teenage stage fast. Itachi's actually worse with the whole 'chivalrous gentleman' and 'noble ninja' idea Konoha men have."

Ayano snorted. "Yeah right. The boys pulling their heads out of- I mean, growing up fast is like me becoming Hokage."

Michiko hummed. "Maybe not Hokage, but you never know. I'll go get the beauty queen. I refuse to wait for him to go through his nonsense when there's work to be done."

In a flicker that Ayano couldn't see, the chair was gone and Michiko tucked the book and storage scroll back into her backpack. Michiko resolutely made her way up the stairs. Ayano raised her eyebrows. Anyone who knew Michiko for more than five minutes also knew she got testy when 'nonsense' got in the way of work, but she usually spared a saint-like amount of patience for her boys. People must be giving her a crap ton of shit a lot of trouble for the match if Michiko couldn't keep it away from work. Within half a minute, Michiko was downstairs with a red-faced Akio.

"S-so, what was the favour you needed, Michiko-chan?"

"Something is keeping me from working at full capacity."

Akio's jaw dropped. "What? Why? How? Who? I thought it was impossible for anyone to stop you from working!"

Michiko sighed. "It's a mighty combined effort. Half the clans in Konoha seemed to decide that the match was my unofficial debut, half of those decided I was worth looking into and half of those decided I'd be good as new blood."

Akio's eyes bugged out. "What? But you're-" Akio gestured wildly at her. "I mean, not in a bad way! But like, I thought clans wouldn't want- you know!"

"Some of the liberals are giving me second cousins to the main house, but it's mainly mid-level ninja families and fourth cousins. I got an offer from a first cousin to the main house of the Sarutobi, but that's about it. Obviously, the conservatives like the Hyuuga aren't going for it unless I become the greatest Hokage ever."

Akio gaped for a few more seconds. "I- well, okay, that's… great… and all, but what do you want me to do about it?"

"I need someone to stand guard at my training ground and chase off any suitors. If asked, that's because my sealing work was massively backed up due to my coma. I'll inform you when I'm working on volatile pieces, during which you'd expand your range of patrol."

"So they're coming to find you in your training ground? Is it that bad?"

Michiko gave him one of her impassive looks that communicated the 'you-are-an absolute-idiot' feeling perfectly. "I've lost three months and the last month has been re-training. I have a thousand and one state of affairs that need to be sorted ASAP. I've had to push back dozens of plans and scrap three. I need someone I can trust to go through all the nonsense or I'll never get things back on track perfectly."

Akio shrank back, finally sensing the foul mood Michiko was in. Ayano loved her brother, but he could be such a blockhead. "Okay, okay, I get it. Why not Itachi, though? You usually ask him."

"I need someone available 24/7. Itachi can't do that. We're on the same team, so even when our jounin sensei is finally selected, we'll have the same schedule."

"How about getting a Nara handler?"

Michiko's impassive look turned impatient. "I need someone reliable and capable. Are you in or not?"

Akio gaped before blushing a little. "I- of course!"

Michiko nodded sharply. "Good. You are now my official, permanent, unpaid, full-time PA. I'll give you a full rundown of your duties on the way." Michiko turned to Ayano and the harsh, commanding look on her face sliding off.

"Ayano, I'll be taking Akio off your capable hands."

Ayano smiled back cheerfully. If this was what Michiko was like as a teacher, she couldn't wait for the sessions to start. "Of course! Bye bye, Nii-san, Michiko-san!"

Ayano didn't know a lot, but she wasn't an idiot. Michiko wanted something from her. And Ayano was fine with that. As a sister and a daughter, she had duties to fulfill and she couldn't do much as a daughter. Akio had always been a little slow and stupid, but Ayano loved him and Akio loved her too. It was her job to make sure Akio didn't mess up too badly in life, so along for the ride she'd go.

Besides, a life with Michiko around sounded really fun!

Akio barely had time to wave goodbye before Michiko grabbed him by the scruff and dragged away.

* * *

Nara Aina had nearly forgotten how irritating arrogant clan supremacists were. Being a poor civilian for years had definitely lulled her into a dull routine. But as always, the operative word was 'nearly'. She was very much back in the game after eleven days of practice and she'd learned a few tricks from her daughter over the last few years. The seals helped her a lot and she knew that this was nothing compared to what Michiko handled on a daily basis.

"Greetings, Nara-san. I am Shimura Hiroto. May I come in?" The name 'Shimura Hiroto' triggered one of the data seals Michiko had drawn onto her and it allowed access to a small database of all people Michiko thought could potentially show up. Her vision coloured red for a second, signifying that he was a major threat. A… 'holographic screen', as Michiko called it, popped up to her right. Her daughter had the weirdest naming sense and ideas.

Aina smiled shallowly. "Of course, come in." Hiroto entered and removed his shoes. Aina shut the door. "I'll go get tea. We can sit at the shogi table."

Aima turned to go to the kitchen before he could reply. When she was alone, the screen swung to the front and she quickly skimmed through the summary. Shimura Hiroto, a upper-class ninja aristocrat, mostly likely would offer second or third son and other monetary possessions, probably sent by his clan with a budget, 85% chance of trying illegal ninja tactics, danger level: 8 out of 10, RED zone. This would be a tough cookie, so Aina read as much info as possible. Since danger level 7 to 9 was in the red, the screen would not disappear until Aina dispelled it.

Aina only had a few minutes before she had to return with the tea and she sat down before the shogi table. It was a wooden square table big enough for two and they hadn't purchased another table since it served their purposes well enough. In fact, Michiko said it was better that way because there was less furniture to protect with seals and they could force all negotiations to take place on the table. Thus, the shogi table was deceptively simple in appearance, but Aina had been told that it practically hummed with chakra because it was 'plastered with seals to hell and back', quoting from one Uchiha Shisui.

"May I ask what business you have with me?"

Hiroto took a polite sip of the tea. "I shall get straight to the point. I believe that an arranged marriage between my second son and your daughter would be beneficial to all parties."

A '/!\' sign coloured light pink appeared with a meter under it pointing at 5%. It was a genjutsu warning. Michiko had told her this might happen and they couldn't exactly go to the authorities. Reports of ninja assault from civilians were usually dismissed. Bias aside, it was very easy to use a civilian to set someone up and a civilian's description of ninja attacks were unreliable at best. There was physical evidence, but Michiko had told her that they would use light genjutsu that was easily dispersible, nothing her wards wouldn't cover. No clan would risk a huge scandal over a mid-level marriage arrangement.

"I see. And what exactly are you offering?"

"A bride price of 3 million ryo." Definitely a budget from the clan then. Michiko had also noted that the Shimura clan was very determined to get their hands on her due to past grievances.

Aina gave him an unimpressed look. "Is that all?"

"3 million ryo is a generous offer in exchange for your daughter. Your living standards would improve greatly."

"3 million ryo is less than what Michiko receives in funding per month. Can your clan provide her with a greater amount of support?"

Hiroto showed no outward signs of displeasure. "I am willing to raise the bride price to 10 million. There will be no strings attached unlike the Nara's funding and you are free to use it as you wish. The Shimura clan is an honourable and prestigious clan and my son is second cousins with the clan head. My son is a reputable gentleman and is only five years older than her. At such a young age, he is probably going to enter ANBU with his talents and I believe that our children are compatible. Your daughter will be in good hands and your own standing in the clan will improve." Trying to appeal to social status? Aina was disappointed. She had forsaken a pampered life as a trophy wife in order to marry a mediocre ninja. Did he truly believe she would be swayed by this?

"10 million is still a one-time price and I'm sure you're aware that is not the only long-term benefit my clan offers us. As for social status, the Nara and Shimura are fairly equal in prestige and Michiko is the top candidate bride to the Nara's heir apparent. Talented though your son may be, being in ANBU offers no prestige and age is not a problem to me."

"The Shimura offer stability. Your daughter is currently in favour of the council, but that could change at any moment. Recently, your daughter has been causing quite a bit of trouble and her work from the generous funding of the Nara shows no visible results. It won't be long before the Nara cut their losses. It may not seem so, but your situation is delicate. This is a one-time offer. Taking it would be wise."

Aina scoffed internally. That was arrogance right there, making it a one-time deal. "I shall be the judge of that. I have had better offers. There is no reason for me to take this one."

Hiroto's eyes narrowed. "And what would that offer be?"

"Continued funding, for one. I will not be marrying my daughter off without that." She won't be marrying her daughter off, period. But if this particular clan got wind of that, they would start using illegal methods. It won't be the first time clan ninja took advantage of civilians and the government turned a blind eye. Michiko had mentioned many times that Danzou was a paranoid man. As long as they believed they could convince her, there was no reason to risk getting caught.

"That can be arranged. Our clan head believes in facilitating talent where possible. If your daughter can prove her worth, he will be generous to her."

"Within the Nara, my daughter has no need to prove herself as she has already done so. Funding is only going to increase in the future. Do you have anything concrete to offer?"

"50 million in brideprice and 10 million in funding every month. I can offer you my first son, a second cousin to the main house. The courtship can last for up to 7 years. Your daughter will be considered a fully fledged Shimura upon marriage and will have access to our clan's archives. There is surely no offer more generous." Even the Sarutobi's offer wasn't so generous, though the offer was similar. The light pink warning sign was getting darker and murkier every second, creeping past the 60% mark. If it turned black and reached 100%, she would be completely vulnerable to his genjutsu. She needed to get out now.

"I shall consider your offer."

"I offer an additional 30 million in bride price if you agree now." An extra red screen popped up. Additional information on the Shimura clan: Irreparably damaged relations. If long courtship is offered, Michiko would tragically die in an accident or mysteriously vanish.

Aina's eyes narrowed. What could Michiko have done to earn so much grief? "Shimura-san, as you are aware, I am a civilian. Ninja matters are out of my realm. I'll feel more assured of my decision if I consult with another ninja."

"Do you believe that the Shimura clan will do something so dishonourable?"

"When you go to sleep with your weapons, is it because you believe every ninja in Konoha is out to kill you? No, it is merely those one or two traitors in the crowd. This is not personal to the Shimura."

"And who shall you consult?"

"My daughter, first and foremost. She is much better at weighing odds than I am and this matter involves her. She will make sure that your intentions are true."

"Your daughter has private agendas."

"Nevertheless, she would make accurate and valid arguments that I would need to consider. Both of you are biased towards your goals. Does that not make both of your words equally trustworthy?"

"In any deal, it is ideal to have a neutral party."

"Very well, I shall consult Shikaku-sama."

"Nara Shikaku? Why would he agree to personally deal with this matter?"

"That is beside the point. I shall inform you of my answer after I have consulted a third party."

"I still believe that you should accept it immediately. There is an additional 30 million on the table."

At this point, anyone would begin to suspect something so Aina let some of her suspicion slip."I still believe that there is no need to rush into a deal blind. Caution is perfectly normal. Is that not so, Shimura-san?"

Hiroto pursued his lips. "Indeed. You truly wish to delay the deal?" The pink warning sign's lightness took a nosedive. 87%. This Shimura Hiroto was really pushing it. Michiko had said anything past 90% was traceable. His clan head must have either offered a great reward or punishment. Either that or it was some ninja nonsense Aina didn't know about.

"Yes."

Hiroto's face was neutral, but even Aina could tell he was displeased. "Very well. I expect to hear from you soon."

"Of course, Shimura-san. Allow me to show you to the door."

Aina escorted Hiroto to the door and closed the it as quickly as possible. Michiko had told her the seals worked best in enclosed areas. Aina sighed. Now she had to go over to Shikaku's house. They had a cordial relationship, but they weren't close. Michiko had merely told her to fall back on Shikaku if things got rough.

"Shikaku-sama was right again. My daughter truly is synonymous with the word 'troublesome'."

* * *

"I see you got yourself a handler. He gave me a hard time for a genin." Michiko didn't bother to look up from her paper. It was fairly late and the sun had long since set, but this clearly wasn't going to stop her as she had twenty different intense flashlights beaming around her work at all angles.

"Shikaku-sama. What's wrong now?"

Shikaku sighed. "Shimura Hiroto offered 50 million in brideprice and 10 million in funding every month. Not just that, he's offering his first son, a 7-year courtship and full access to the Shimura clan's archives."

Michiko continued working. "So Danzou is still angry and the Hokage can't offer me a better deal without starting a bidding war. Turning down the offer would put Aina in danger. My seals can only do so much."

"I won't put it past Danzou to use your mother against you. Aina-san told me they tried to use genjutsu on her."

"The quickest way would be revealing that I am a Barrier Architect and say that I'm too busy for this, but that would raise too many questions. I can think of a few things, but they all obstruct my plans and take way too much time. I can say I'm busy with the chuunin exams, but that would only last so long. How about you?" 

"You could join the barrier team or I could say you're currently working on a major project for the Nara."

Michiko bit her lip. "It would be best to just refuse the offer and move Aina into a place full of ninja, but I need to figure out how to do that unsuspiciously." Michiko put down her brush and breathed in. The area flooded with potent Yin chakra, a sign that Michiko was using her Shadow Mind. Shikaku wondered why she didn't do it more often. Was there some kind of limitation? If so, was it a physical restriction or a mental one? Shikaku won't put it past Michiko to purposely restrict herself just to make things more challenging.

Michiko's eyes snapped open. "Shit."

Shikaku blinked in surprise. Michiko never swore. "What's wrong?"

Michiko turned around, looking… panicked?! Michiko never panicked. She faced death in the form of three squads of enemy jounin before and she hadn't panicked. A whisper of bloodlust floated around her and her face darkened sinisterly.

"I overlooked something. I need to check on it ASAP. Get Akio to guard my equipment."

And just like that, Michiko vanished. Shikaku just looked at her dust trail with a growing sense of trepidation.

"Troublesome."

* * *

Itachi was meditating on his bedroom floor in preparation for bed when Michiko flew through his window and landed in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Michiko rarely visited him, preferring to send Akio to fetch him. With the Uchiha-Nara tensions, that was wise, but the fact that she had dropped in looking like the devil was nipping at her heels was alarming, to say the least.

Michiko looked down at him consideringly, her normally sharp, gleaming eyes were now piercingly frozen.

"Itachi. If I told you to live at the opportunity cost of a million improved lives, would you obey me?"

Itachi frowned at the sudden question. Of course a million lives were worth more, but was this some sort of test for his loyalty? No, Michiko knew his allegiance was with her and the look she was giving him… Itachi knew that this was much more serious than a mere hypothetical situation. Michiko's idea of a hobby was revamping Fire Country's political system. He knew that Michiko had contacts all over Konoha and if she had an unbreakable alliance with a multinational company worth billions, it was likely that she had contacts outside of Konoha as well.

His life over the opportunity cost of one million lives… Michiko was weighing his worth to her over quite a few major plans. Michiko, the compulsively efficient workaholic, couldn't stand wasting five minutes doing nothing but she was willing to throw away years of her life for him. Michiko knew him just as he knew her. She knew that Itachi would willingly sacrifice himself and she could see through any deception he tried to put up. Itachi didn't fancy Michiko to be a kind-hearted saviour of the world. She was cold and remorseless, calculating all her actions with sharp precision and accuracy. Itachi knew Michiko knew the odds of him refusing her was near 100%. If it had been anyone else, Michiko wouldn't have bothered to ask.

Michiko, in all her ruthless brilliance and indomitable will, had decided that he was worth the sacrifice. Suddenly, Itachi found that he couldn't deny her. Not in front of that frosty, defensive visage.

"Do what you feel is right, not what is considered right. That was the first lesson you taught me. I shall return your loyalty. I will obey."

Michiko's eyes widened in surprise and her mouth fell open slightly. Then she laughed. It was a giggle then a chuckle then manic howling as she hunched over, clutching her stomach. She shakily stood up, the chill of her gaze melting into a warm love as she glomped him. Itachi fell back into the floor so Michiko yanked him up and dragged him over to his bed. She sat down on it, pulled Itachi into her lap and proceeded with her quest to squeeze the life out of him. Itachi awkwardly hugged back.

"M-Master?"

Michiko loosened her hold but kept her arms him. She rearranged him so he was more comfortable. Michiko was fairly tall for her age and had a broader build courtesy of her civilian heritage while Itachi was average, slender and three years younger. As such, he fitted quite easy in her lap and curled into a ball, his head pillowed in her chest and his arms loosely wrapped around her.

In the Uchiha household, physical affection was nonexistent and people rarely touched Itachi kindly, so he had always been somewhat uncomfortable with physical contact. But Michiko's embrace was firm and escapable. Her hand lightly stroked his head in soft, comforting motions. She even went as far as to envelop him in a soft, healing chakra blanket to keep him calm. The hand that wasn't stroking his head glowed green softly as it roamed over his back. Itachi wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but he felt the tension melt away and his eyelids grew heavy.

"Sleep, child."

Slowly but surely, Itachi drifted off in her arms.

* * *

Team 11 were gathered in the private training ground that had belonged to Seishiro. It was two weeks after Michiko's victory and they finally got a jounin sensei. It definitely wasn't who Itachi was expecting.

"I am Arakida Noa. From today onwards, I will be your jounin sensei."

"Arakida?" Itachi asked. "Are you related to Arakida Seishiro?"

"He was my husband. He died so you three could come home and it is my personal mission to make sure you scrubs are in shape."

Noa was a young, delicate-looking and absolutely gorgeous woman. She had dead straight waist-length platinum blonde hair worn loose, the signature blue pupil-less Yamanaka eyes, smooth pale skin with pink neutral makeup, a sizable bust and wide hips. She wore a simple white, long-sleeved turtleneck, a knee-length powder-pink pleated skirt and 5-inch wedges with floral designs. Her fingernails were impractically long and both her finger and toenails were coated with a metallic pink polish. She carried a small branded coral-pink shoulder bag studded with clear gemstones and she had a rose gold charms bracelet on her right wrist, dangling platinum and diamond earrings and a wedding band that matched Seishiro's on her ring finger. She carried no visible weapons and overall, did not look combat-ready at all as she resembled an innocent civilian teenage girl rather than a deadly jounin-level kunoichi. She had last appeared as Yamanaka Noa in the Bingo book three years back and went into early retirement. That meant she was either a civilian, an infiltrator, or a T&I specialist.

A Michiko-type kunoichi then. You know, the extra troublesome-type.

"Hey! We're more than ready for the chuunin exams!"

Noa's head instantly snapped towards Akio and she was on him like a starving tiger to the jugular of an unattended fawn. Her blue eyes went from neutral to glacial and suddenly, her girlish appearance was disconcerting.

"My job is not to get you through the chuunin exams, it's to get you through life." In a blink, she was behind Akio with her hand on his head.

"What the-" Noa leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"You will run around this training ground until you are willing to show me respect."

Itachi activated his sharingan and saw Noa using some sort of hiden ninjutsu, probably a Yamanaka jutsu. Akio was jolted and started sprinting off right away. Noa turned back at them and smiled coldly.

"I tend to like the brute force approach. I hope none of you are like him?"

Michiko returned the smile coupled with an equal amount of chilling coldness. "Don't worry. Akio's the only normal kid around here."

Noa smirked. "Good."

Itachi's sharingan barely picked up three hand seals before a huge fire dragon charged at them. He dodged and Michiko threw a water jutsu at it, but it simply evaporated. It split into five smaller dragons and Noa had already made another three fire dragons, each larger than the previous one. The chakra pattern and hand seals told Itachi that this was not your average fire dragon jutsu.

"Dodge."

Itachi had a sinking feeling that this was where Seishiro got his playful sadism from.

* * *

*Author's note:

The currency used is ryo, Naruto's currency. Using information from Naruto wikia and the current currency exchange rate (24/12/16),

1 USD = 11.7 ryo

1 EUR = 12.2 ryo

1 AUD = 8.4 ryo

1 GBP = 14.4 ryo

1 CAD = 8.6 ryo

1 JPY = 0.1 ryo

Also, tell me about your thoughts on Ayano :)


	12. Filial Piety

It was a month after Arakida Noa took charge of team 11. When it wasn't back-to-back missions, it was training twelve hours a day. Akio had gained a sudden phobia of the colour pink and the training ground cleanup crew hated their guts after Forest Fire No. 5. Despite this, Akio had gotten to like Noa after she straight up told Fugaku to 'go fuck himself' when he attempted to interfere with their team schedule.

But Noa was far from the only merciless female on the team. Apparently, being a PA was a job for superhumans as he still had to guard Michiko after the twelve-hour training. Not only that, Michiko had decided that his skills were unsatisfactory which resulted in at least four hours of training.

Something had bubbled and spilt over on a random breaking point that Akio had no idea existed. In hindsight, he really should've expected something like this from Michiko.

Akio threw three shuriken at Michiko. She easily deflected them with a kunai and threw two shuriken. Akio ducked and tripped for the tenth time on a rock. Michiko sighed.

"I think that's about it. We're not getting any further."

Akio gritted his teeth. "I can still train!"

Michiko shooked her head. "It's not that. I have things to do as well. Noa-sensei pushed us hard today. Rest would do you more good."

"But-"

"Akio. Do not lose sight of your goal."

"Exactly! I have to be stronger so I can become an elite jounin! If I take breaks I'll never-"

Michiko sighed and rubbed her face. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. You've lost sight."

"What do you mean?"

"Akio, why did you want to become an elite jounin?"

"So I can be acknowledged by the clan, of course!"

"Do you like the clan?" 

"Of course not! They're a bunch of stupid shitstains who don't care about anyone other than themselves! They don't even give a shit about their own family, yet they go on and on about the clan thinking they're so fucking noble and righteous! They make me fucking sick!"

"Then why would you want acknowledgement from people who treat you like dirt? What favours does that do you? Think, Akio. What has always been your goal above everything else? What would you throw your family, your clan, your village and your life away for?"

Images flashed. A tiny, fragile baby wrapped in a pink blanket. The determined pout of a toddler as she took her first steps. A teary, doe-eyed little girl with bruises down her arms and scrapes on her knees.

"Ayano. The clan, the family, and the village can rot in hell for all I care. But I will never give up Ayano."

"And what exactly is your plan for Ayano? How will becoming an elite jounin help her? Would the clan hand you custody of your sister?"

"I…"

"You know it, don't you? The Uchiha clan is one of the most traditional clans. No matter how powerful you become, they will not give you what you want simply because you were born wrong."

"Then what do I do?! There's nothing else!"

Michiko shooked her head and smiled exasperatedly. "Akio, you need to play smarter, not stronger. It can be irritating sometimes, but there's good reason why Konoha harps on about teamwork."

Akio gaped. He had always been so focused on getting stronger. Why he needed to get stronger… well, that had eventually been pushed back once he had gotten into his goal. Being an elite jounin had been a dream conceived as a child when he had thought that power was all that mattered. With power, he would be recognised. With power, he could get more privileges and a better life. With power, he wouldn't be treated like scum.

But Michiko… Michiko had shown him that the world wasn't like that. She showed him that power came in various forms and being able to throw twenty shuriken perfectly didn't mean shit on the political table. Michiko couldn't set a forest on fire. She wouldn't win an arm wrestling contest with anyone on the team and she certainly wasn't winning any beauty pageants anytime soon. But she could beat Itachi who could do C-rank jutsu with one hand while simultaneously casting a quadruple-layer genjutsu with his sharingan while dodging Michiko's water dragon while standing on a mini whirlpool battlefield created by Noa and still managed to throw eight shuriken with his other hand, half of which actually hit Michiko, who had been crowned as the queen of dodging by Noa, an impossible to please sadist.

Akio would be lying if he said he wasn't a little… jealous of them sometimes. Things just came so easily to them and they didn't even seem to appreciate that. Any ninja would slaughter hordes just to be half as talented as Itachi or half as smart as Michiko.

"What's your plan?"

Michiko smirked. "Ayano is strong. When the Uchiha fall, I will make sure she wouldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"The Uchiha way was effective in the Warring States period where giving an inch meant giving your life. But that obstinacy is detrimental, will be detrimental in a future within our reach. We are moving towards a time of great change where new ideas and open minds are in demand. Their glory days will be their downfall and it won't be long before they collapse under the weight of their own legacy. Truthfully, any clan too traditional, too stuck in their ways will fall. The Uchiha are just a special case as they have always been."

Akio opened and closed his mouth, uncomprehendingly. "What are you talking about? What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that the Uchiha will fail and should you side with them, so will you. Akio, I can guarantee the happiness of your sister. I will personally ensure she lives a fulfilling life. Will you join me?"

Akio opened his mouth again, in an attempt to ask more questions. What was this about the Uchiha falling? How could Michiko ensure Ayano lived a happy life? How did she even know any of this, much less plan for it? What were her plans for them?

But a look from Michiko silenced him. Michiko never told them her plans, expecting them to just go along and follow her orders. It worked out for the most part and while he had come to accept it, it had never sat well with him. He wasn't Itachi. He couldn't follow orders blindly without explanation like Itachi could. Like a ninja should. There was always a part of him that rebelled and asked why even though he knew that Michiko would never lead them astray.

It was not to say that he didn't trust Michiko. Michiko was always so kind and caring, though sometimes it was disguised or a 'tough' type of love. She was always there for him, offering both kind words and criticism when he needed it the most. He could always go to her for support. He could always count on her both in and out of the battlefield. Yet there was another side to her, a dark side to her that Akio had never been too comfortable with. It was a heated grin just a little too predatory, a sweet smile just a little too venomous, a cool head just a little too ruthless. All of this told Akio a story he didn't want to hear, a story he subconsciously ignored and block out, but his current hesitation brought those unwanted memories out at full force. He couldn't quite place this feeling of unease, this sudden burst of doubt, but it was enough to hold his tongue.

Noticing his hesitation, Michiko sighed. "I guess it's still too early for you. No matter. I will see you tomorrow."

Michiko left as she came, quickly, forcefully and without a warning. Akio was left behind with a faint sense of guilt and doubt.

* * *

"Nii-san! You're home!"

It was ten by the time Akio was home and that was fairly early nowadays. Akio didn't even have the energy to acknowledge Ayano as he flopped onto the couch. Unfortunately, his father, Uchiha Kazuo, happened to be on the other couch.

"I'll go get the medkit and then you can have dinner."

"Noooo." Akio moaned. "Sleeeeep."

Ayano frowned. "You'll regret it in the morning."

"Shuddup."

"Your sister is right. Eat, bandage your wounds and then sleep. You look and smell atrocious and no Uchiha should act so undignified and childish. Such behaviour is what makes you a disgrace." Kazuo admonished.

Akio glared. "Shuddup. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"I am your father and this is my house. You will do as you are told."

Akio snorted. "Oh really? I guess I didn't catch the memo. For a father, you sure don't act like it." 

"Insolent brat! I've fed you, clothed you and sheltered you for the 14 years of your pathetic life and this is the thanks I get? With that sort of attitude, a dimwit like you would never make it through life."

Akio sat up. "Anyone could do that. A maid or an orphanage worker would've done a better job than you, for all the effort you put in. You think I'm pathetic? Don't forget that in the eyes of the clan, you're in the same boat as me. Just a disposable sharingan-less lowlife. Don't go all high and mighty on me when you've done nothing in your life."

Kazuo sneered. "Unlike you, I've served the clan loyally for decades. You've done nothing but make a nuisance of yourself. You insult the clan heir, fraternise with the enemy and perform absolutely no clan duties. You are a waste of space!"

"So? It's not like anyone gives a shit about us. It doesn't matter how long or how well we serve the clan, we're all trash in their eyes."

"Such talk is blasphemy! How dare you insult the noble clan that has so generously raised your pathetic being!"

"Insult? It's just the truth. You see how they look at us when we talk to them. They give us that patronising look like they're so much better than us. We're as good as dead to them!"

"It's because of that lousy attitude that we'll never have power!"

Akio stood up, leaning forward aggressively. "Oh, so it's all my fault now? How is it my fault that you never awakened your sharingan and will spend the rest of your life behind a desk? If anything, I should be the one blaming you! If you think I'm so pathetic, then why don't you go and awaken your own sharingan, huh? Maybe you should do something for once instead of sitting on your ass all day and waiting for your kids to do the hard work!"

"I've heard enough from you! I have done nothing to deserve such a disobedient child! If you weren't my only son, I would've kicked you out the moment you got your forehead protecter!"

"You might as well have! You shout at me every time you're home and it always ends with me getting thrown out for the night! I hardly live here! All you do is come home to get drunk, trash up the house and yell at Ayano to clean up after your mess! Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You are a father! You should be the one cleaning up after your seven-year-old daughter instead of expecting her to run the house and drag your drunk ass to bed! You never took care of her, it was always me! I was the one feeding her, cleaning her diapers and teaching her to talk while you were out getting drunk! And somehow I'm the disgrace? You've been like this ever since Mom died! Just when are you going to get your shit together?!"

Kazuo snarled, his face flushing red. "Don't you dare mention your mother in front of me! It's that little cunt's fault that she's dead! The least she could do is take over Junko's duties as lady of the house!"

"How on earth is it Ayano's fault! It's not like she wanted Mom to die! She never asked to be born! If you're going to go down that line, then it's your fault! If you hadn't created Ayano, Mom wouldn't have died! Better yet, if you hadn't married her, none of this would be happening!"

"How dare you! You know what? If you hate me so much for being a father, then you'll get what you want! You're disowned! Get out of my house!"

Akio's eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered quickly. "Fine! I'm done with this shitty clan anyway!"

Akio turned and stormed out of the house and Uchiha compound. He was met with several disapproving glares but they didn't matter anymore. The Uchiha didn't matter anymore. His father didn't matter anymore.

Akio had no trouble finding a training ground to vent his frustrations on. He set a group of trees on fire with a fireball, buried his kunai through rocks and ran through his kata vigorously.

Nothing worked. His life had always been shitty and it was always been his father's fault. If his father hadn't been such a useless drunk, they'd have money to send Ayano to school. If his father had taken care of Ayano like he should have, Akio could've doubled his training time and gotten so much stronger. If his father had awakened his sharingan, all the crap he had to go through wouldn't be there.

But even more than that, it was the Uchiha's fault. If he weren't Uchiha, Ayano would be better off. The Uchiha had a bunch of bullshit rules on how they couldn't send their children to 'commoner schools' and had to send them to the fancy posh shit. If it weren't for the Uchiha's crazy clan taxes, Akio would've had more money to spend on Ayano's future. They were fucking rich already and just hoarded all the money in a bank! If the Uchiha weren't elitist bastards, Ayano would be able to hone her talents and shine. It wasn't like the clan didn't have money to spare.

It was all his father's fault. It was all his clan's fault. If it weren't for them, they would have a better life. Ayano would have a better life.

"Nii-san!"

Akio's head snapped up. "Ayano? What are you doing here?"

Ayano smiled and stepped closer. Closer to the chakra flames burning in front of Akio.

"Get away from here! It's dangerous!"

Ayano giggled. "Don't worry, Nii-san. Look around."

Akio looked around and realised that much of the training ground was on fire. Shit. Without Itachi as an excuse, the clan wouldn't pay for the damages and the training ground cleanup crew were pissed off enough to charge him maximum every time. How was- wait. If most of the training ground was on fire, how did Ayano, a civilian, manage to get in unharmed.

"How did you get in?"

Ayano walked over to a tree and punched it. The tree collapsed. She then turned around, smiling at Akio's gaping face.

"I'm not so defenceless anymore, Nii-san."

"But- how?"

"I wanted to be strong and I was given the chance to be just that. So I took it. You don't have to worry about me so much anymore, Nii-san. I can protect myself."

"But you'll be all alone now! He will marry you off and-"

Ayano broke off into peals of laughter. "Who the hell would wanna marry me? The type of guy Dad's looking for will never want someone like me, ya know. Besides, Dad kicked me out as well."

"He disowned you?!"

"Oh no, he just got mad at me when I tried to give him tea. He smashed the teapot and got boiling tea all over me."

"What?! That bastard! How could he do that! I'll-"

Ayano rolled her eyes. "It's just an accident. He gets drunk all the time, stuff like that's happened before."

"But you're his seven-year-old daughter! It's child abuse and negligence!"

Ayano sighed. "Nii-san, the Uchiha are the police. if we go to them, what do you think would happen? Nothing. Uchiha protect their own above all else, ya know. They'd just say I was being stupid and it's my fault and everyone would help them sweep it under the rug cause we're nobodies. They hate scandals like that and we'd just be seen as troublemakers."

"But that's wrong!"

"Well, we can't do anything about that now. There's just no point in getting mad at the world if you're not gonna do anything about it, ya know? Shit happens and I'm following you anyway."

"What do you mean? And where did you learn that language!"

Ayano rolled her eyes. "Like I said, I'm following you! There's nothing left in the clan for me. There's one hell of shitstorm brewing down there. I can feel it and everything's gonna get bloody if we stay too long. Dad's not getting better anytime soon and I don't think I can help him. So I'm leaving for a better world and no one will stop us because we're nobodies and they don't care."

"But-but where would you stay? How about food and money? What would you do?"

Ayano gave a sunny grin. "No idea! I'm not good at that sorta stuff, but Michiko-shishou would know what to do."

"Well, Michiko-chan is- wait, WHAT?!"

"Let's go!"

"Wait, WAIT! Michiko-chan was the one who taught you?!"

"Yep! Gai-sensei helped a lot too!"

Akio choked. "Gai? Maito Gai?! The green sparkling spandex dude? The one that Michiko-chan finds cute?! He's the one teaching you?"

"Yeah! He's a really good teacher, just with a weird fashion sense. A great jounin too! He's not stuck-up or dismissive and he's willing to teach anyone with enough willpower!"

Akio sputtered. "But- I- you- how?"

Ayano's smile didn't waver in its cheer. "Because of Michiko-shishou, of course!"

"But you- you-" Akio facepalmed. "But of course. Because Michiko. I guess that explains why nothing's making sense, doesn't it." He should also be used to it by now but somehow, he got the feeling that he would never get used to her.

"Yep! So let's go over to her place!"

"But I can't just do that!"

Ayano frowned at Akio. "Why not? You always go over to her place. Now that you're her PA, you basically live there."

"But this is different! I've been kicked out! I'll have to rely on her and Michiko-chan isn't rich."

Ayano gave him a curious stare. "So? How's that any different? You've always relied on Michiko-shishou and she has always relied on you. She makes the plans and you help her do them. You guard her while she's working and she protects you. It's always been like that, ya know. It's not gonna change now and I think Michiko-shishou would expect you to come to her. I'll gouge my eyes out if she doesn't have a dozen plans ready and ten times as much money as you need. You've always been by her side, where else would you go?"

Akio opened his mouth before slamming it shut. Had he really come to rely on Michiko so much? He crashed at her home, went to training with her, went on missions with her, guarded her after missions, sorted through her appointments and ran her errands. He rarely left Michiko's side. She cooked for him, trained him up and always had advice for his problems. Michiko was just… there. All the time. Without Michiko, he… just… where would he be? Who would he be? Would he still have been disowned? Would he have been as strong? Who would Ayano be? Right now he had no money, no home, nothing but the clothes on his back to call his own. Where else could he go?

Nowhere, that's where. Because he was a nobody to anyone outside of the Team. He had nothing. Ayano had nothing. The only place to go was Michiko.

"Ayano, what are the chances that Michiko-chan planned all of this right from the start?"

"Hmm… I dunno. Maybe 100%?"

* * *

To be completely honest, Michiko was a little surprised when Akio and Ayano appeared at her doorway. She had expected them to come to her, but she thought she still had a year or so. She would have to shift her schedule a lot.

"Come on in." Michiko drawled with her usual bored expression.

Ayano beamed. "Hi-hi! We'll be intruding for forever!" Ayano then grabbed Akio, dragged him past the doorway and not-so-subtly whispered. "See? I told you so."

"Ayano can take my bed. I don't have any more beds so Akio and I will be sleeping in my training ground."

Akio's shoulders drooped. "Again?"

"I plan on getting an apartment soon. I'll have you chip in on the rent."

She had planned on getting an apartment after the chuunin exams. That way, she would have complete control over the house and Aina would still be protected by the barriers. But now she'd have to go apartment hunting with the two of them. The whole thing was a huge headache. She would have to spend weeks in order to get the barriers up in time now. Not to mention she would have to basically redesign half of the barriers to increase efficiency and she would have to increase the number of barrier on Aina without her around. But the house was getting so saturated they might as well move house. But that would take months and would leave Aina vulnerable. Not viable. Their current house wasn't too bad and had adequate protection, but 'adequate' was starting to be inadequate. She now had three people under her direct protection and the amount of barriers needed were insanely time-consuming. She really needed to up her fuuinjutsu efficiency level by at least 375% to maintain her current schedule and that just wasn't happening.

Basically, her nicely balanced schedule was completely messed up. And that pissed Michiko off a lot.

"If that's the case, Ayano and I can just get an apartment of our own nearby."

Michiko nodded. "You can get in the same building as mine. I know a place where we can get them at dirt cheap prices. I'll help you negotiate."

That was actually better than them staying with her. She had the privacy to do whatever she wanted but at the same time, the both of them would be close enough for convenience. She would have to expand the radius of her barriers, but expansion wasn't difficult, just a lot more chakra intensive. She would have a higher capacity in the event that she needed to take in more strays. She'd always had that habit, so preparing for the inevitability of a full capacity was best.

Ayano's beam brightened to Maito-Gai-Intensity-Levels. She truly was a work of art. "Great! It's all settled!"

"But will the clan really let me leave so easily?" Akio asked. "The Uchiha are fucking paranoid about bloodlines and shit."

"I'll have Itachi put in a word for you. You'll be under surveillance, but you should be fine. You'll still have to officially change your name at the Hokage Tower so you should get a new surname to cement your separation from the Uchiha. The both of you are still family after all and it'll be a little barrier just in case they try to pull you back."

With the idea of a coup starting to settle within the minds of the Uchiha council, they would try to weed out the disloyal. Akio, with his clear attachment to her, would be first on the list. The Uchiha had never had a disloyalty problem due to their superior brainwashing techniques, but all it took was one person to blow the whole thing apart. They were paranoid and careful, but often made the mistake of assuming that physical prowess and blood relations to the main house directly correlated to loyalty. Since Akio was neither, there should be no problem.

Akio shrugged. "I don't know. Never thought about that so I don't have a new name."

Ayano raised her hand in the air. "Oh! Oh! I know! How about we have Michiko-shishou choose a surname for us?"

"What? Why?" asked Akio.

"Why wouldn't she? I mean- wait, you haven't noticed yet?"

Akio frowned. "Notice what?"

Ayano smiled exasperatedly. "Never mind." She turned to Michiko. "So what would it be?"

Michiko had been rather surprised by this sudden turn of events, even if she didn't show it. Family names were a lot more important here in Konoha and to ask her to choose their surname…

Ayano was an uneducated ditz. But while Uchiha boys learned how to throw knives and Uchiha girls learned how to sit prettily, Ayano learned how to read people. Such skills were infinitely more valuable than combat skills.

"If that's the case, I have the perfect name for the two of you."

"Really? What is it?"

"I'll tell you in the morning."

"Why not now?" asked Akio.

"I need to make sure the kanji I have in mind are optimal." As a fuuinjutsu specialist, Michiko was a walking dictionary and thesaurus, but it never hurt to be cautious.

"What's going on?" Everyone turned to see Aina coming out of her room.

"Aina-san! We're having a sleepover for a few months! Hope you don't mind!" exclaimed Ayano.

Aina nodded in acceptance. "I see. You can stay for as long as you need to. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask me."

"Okay!"

"Then I'll be going back to sleep. Goodnight."

"Night!"

"Goodnight." Akio greeted hastily. Aina retreated back into her room. "Your mum's pretty cool about the whole thing, what's with being a civilian and all."

Michiko shrugged. "She's used to it and understands that she doesn't understand so she just rolls with it."

"Yep! Aina-san is a real chill person. She has the Nerves of Steel and the Brilliance of Youth, ya know! And you should know cause you're here all the time!"

Akio cringed at her speech style and shrugged uncomfortably. "Not really. Michiko only comes home for a couple hours per week. She just camps out at the training ground. We were lucky to catch her at home."

"Oh. Then I'll be going to bed now. Gai-sensei is crazy as fuck and I need to get my energy up, ya know? So sort your shit out, 'kay?"

Ayano scampered out of the room and Akio gaped. "When did my little sister learn such language?" He turned to Michiko accusingly.

Michiko sighed. "Ayano has always been like that. I don't see a problem."

"But she's getting corrupted! You can just hear Maito Gai bleeding into her voice!"

"It's a personal choice of speech style. If Ayano chooses to speak this way, I see no reason to stop her."

"But how? Why? Why of all the jounin did you have to pick him?"

"Ayano isn't very good at chakra control. She has an average build instead of the slender one typical of Uchiha kunoichi. She has sharp reflexes and great kinesthesia. Since she's such an intuitive person, taijutsu fits her the best out of the three broad categories. Say what you will about his character, but you will not find a better taijutsu master than Gai-san. He is patient, genuine and willing to teach anyone with a bright spirit and amazing staying power. Ayano's high energy and learning skills fit well into his training programs."

"But what about his other habits? I don't want Ayano to grow up uncouth and learn the wrong things. That green spandex is completely inappropriate for a girl and I swear he tries to blind people every time he smiles!"

"I find Gai-san's dental hygiene practices to be admirable and the spandex is efficient and suited to his combat needs. And in case you haven't noticed, Ayano isn't the paradigm of purity. If anything, she is much more aware of the world than you are."

"What do you mean?"

"See it for yourself. She's your little sister."

"But I practically raised her! Ayano… Ayano is my little sister. She's my little girl! She's not allowed to grow up! And she's too sweet to be a ninja and I know her more than anyone else!"

Michiko sighed. "You didn't know about her ninja training, did you?"

"Well, I- the two of you were conspiring together to keep it from me! I spent all my time with you!"

"Exactly. Ayano isn't the same as the infant you raised. She has grown up right before your eyes and you failed to notice. Spend some more time with her. You have a lot of catching up to do."

Akio frowned. "Did you plan all of this? Did you plan to get Ayano and I disowned?"

Michiko rolled her eyes. "I planned for the event that it would happen, but I wasn't the cause. It was fairly obvious that you were going to leave home on bad terms, even if you weren't disowned."

Akio's frown deepened.

"You know, Michiko-chan, you always have some kind of plan or trick up your sleeve. You always seem to know everything that comes our way and you're never surprised by anything. You say you're not that strong yet you can beat enemies twice as strong as you. You can fight, strategize, provide support, cook, set traps, secure areas, you can do everything so well. Sometimes, sometimes it's like you're all invincible or something. You, Itachi and Noa-sensei. You're going to be the top strategist, Noa-sensei is the top mind walker and Itachi's going to be top at basically everything. Around you all, it's like I can't do anything. You guys are all so into this mental ninja game going on and I'm never in the loop. You're just so smart that sometimes… sometimes when you say you can't do something, that you didn't plan for every last detail to happen I just… I just don't believe you."

Not good, but not entirely unexpected. Akio was the alpha type. He would never be comfortable with taking orders. He just couldn't master up the wholehearted trust, loyalty and belief that Itachi could. He doubted easily, distrusted easily and fell into disrepair easily. But it was not to say that alpha types made less useful ninja. They were more resistant to society and Michiko herself was one. The majority of S-rank ninja were alpha types, or if they weren't, pretended to be. That was why the banding together of S and A-rank ninja were rare. But as the Akatsuki have shown, it wasn't impossible to control multiple alpha types and get them to work together. She just needed to appeal to them differently.

"A strategist without an army is useless. Why do you think we have teams? Why do you think I need the both of you? Itachi is a one-man army. Assassination, wholesale slaughter, interrogation, torture, infiltration, investigation, stealth, protection, retrieval, tracking… the list is neverending. Normally, a ninja dedicates their entire lives to a single category, two or three if you're jounin. But Itachi excels in all of the above. It is a feat almost unreplicable."

Akio snarled. "Then why bother with me at all? Why don't you just go to Itachi all the time if he's that great?"

"The weak point of any army, any creature is always the head. Itachi is an exceptional ninja, but he isn't all-powerful or infallible. He can't be everywhere at once. I have done well so far in battle, but an unknown jounin could kill me easily. I don't have the luxury of gathering information on every possible threat in the world like I can do in Konoha. You are a lesser ninja to Itachi. But what I need is not a sword but a shield. A protector. Someone who can be by my side for every second of the day, every day of the week, every week of the year, every year till I die. By his nature, Itachi is exceptional. But by his nature, that is something Itachi would never be capable of doing."

Akio was obviously conflicted. He had the opportunity to do something Itachi could never do, but he knew in his gut that something was amiss, even if Akio wasn't smart enough to figure out what it was.

"... Why do you need a protector? Just what are you planning?"

Michiko smirked. Just a little more. "You will see the beginning of a new world order. You will see the formation of world peace. And you will see it within two decades."

"Is that what you promised Itachi? Is that why he always listens to you above anything else?"

"Yes. I promised him peace. I promised his brother's security. Itachi is my ninja. He has sworn eternal fealty to my cause. He serves me, and in return, I take care of all his needs, be they physical or emotional. What will your choice be?"

Akio stayed silent for a few moments. "You… you said you would take care of Ayano. You said you can guarantee her happiness."

"Yes, I did." She would take care of Ayano regardless of what Akio chose. Ayano had far too much potential to be abandoned on principle, but Akio didn't need to know that.

"Even if I die, even if I'm gone, that would hold true, wouldn't it?"

"It is not a lifetime commitment. It is an eternal commitment. I will ensure her happiness even after my death."

"I… I'm with you all the time. You are always there for me when I needed someone. You've never lied to me and you always, always care. Maybe it was all on purpose, maybe you planned all of this out. It doesn't matter. I don't care about the Uchiha, I don't care about Konoha and I sure as hell don't give a shit about the world. Whether you want to save the world or destroy it, it doesn't matter to me. Ayano matters. You matter. I will protect you. I will protect the both of you."

Michiko's smile was picturesque.

"Then I shall hold you to your word, Kouru Akio."


	13. Chasing Death

Akimichi Takumi considered himself to be a very successful and lucky man. He had started out life as the third son to an upper middle-class Akimichi ninja family. But he was born with a Yang chakra birth defect and he had problems producing Yang chakra. That not only prevented him from being a ninja and learning the Akimichi clan jutsu but also left him with a frail constitution. His family had been supportive of him even though he could never be a ninja. The clan head himself had told him that he was still an Akimichi through and through despite not sharing many similarities with his clan members. But Takumi never really felt like he belonged. He had brown hair and a slight tummy, but he didn't have the Akimichi traits like being obese, physically strong and food-obsessed. Everyone looked at him with pity and sympathy, but never empathy and understanding.

Then came along Michiko. Unlike everyone else, Michiko knew how it felt like to never belong. She knew what it felt like to be a foreign entity within your own clan despite being accepted. While everyone else was loyal to their clans and felt a sense of community, Michiko knew what it felt like to be living within that circle, but never be a part of it. She knew what it felt like to struggle with her Yang chakra. Even though she had more than him and her body wasn't quite as frail, she recognised and understood his feelings more than anyone else.

His family had always been patient with him, telling him to take it easy, but all he heard was that he was frail and weak and that he wasn't expected to do anything. That he wasn't expected to become anything. He appreciated their support and knew that he could be much worse off, that there were many other clans far less sympathetic and caring. Instead of letting him waste away, his parents gave him something to do. They taught him how to cook and how to run the family business, but he still felt trapped and limited by his meagre skills and fragile body.

Despite all that support, all that care, it was Michiko who had given him hope. It was Michiko who had given him a future. Michiko had told him that if he couldn't pursue physical pleasures, then he should pursue mental challenges. He didn't need to learn how to chop vegetables better to be successful. Why did he have to be limited be the stereotype that all Akimichi had to do something food related? There was a wide world out there, waiting to be explored and he could do it while in bed, be it by reading a book or simple contemplation.

She recognised him and gave him the tools, skills and will to succeed. And succeed he did. With the support of everyone, he managed to make millions in just five years and all of 'his' amazing ideas were from Michiko. From 'pen' and 'karukyureitaa' to new medical technology, Autumn Artisan had been a huge hit in both the ninja and civilian markets. Their inventions were both efficient and convenient, something all humans appreciated and they were the biggest investors in the up and coming 'science' market. Michiko had been his key and his greatest supporter, both emotionally and monetarily. He would not deny her anything even if her requests could sometimes be questionable.

"Takumi." Takumi turned around. He had long since been used to Michiko suddenly appearing out of nowhere and disappearing as quickly.

"What do you need, Michi?" Nowadays, Michiko only dropped by when she needed a favour. But Takumi knew this did not mean she didn't care or that she was using him, unlike what his brothers sometimes hinted at. Both of them were very busy with their own lives and hardly had time to socialise. As someone very deep in business politics, Takumi understood Michiko's plight and workaholic attitude. There were an endless array of possibilities to be fulfilled, but only so many hours in a day. There was just never enough time and resources.

"I'm taking a vacation to Hot Water Country." Michiko? On a vacation? Anyone who knew anything about Michiko would call her bluff.

"I didn't know you did vacations."

"It's more of a business trip, of course. What do you know about Jashinism?"

"Everyone who has business in Hot Water knows of them. They disrupt business quite a lot. It's a cult who worships a Satanic god, I believe. There are very few of them, but they are all able to slaughter hordes of jounin."

"That much I know. They have very specific rules too and most are born into the cult. I am looking for a Jashinist weapon. If you can find me a Jashinist, I will be able to take their weapon off them. They have white hair, fair skin and purple eyes, shouldn't be that hard to find."

"Flirting with danger as usual, Michi. I'll do what I can. Why would you want such a weapon?" It was merely a curious question and he had already agreed to her request. If he was anyone else, Michiko wouldn't have answered.

"The more a Jashinist kills, the more intimate they are with death and the darker the weapon they can wield. Any who wields a weapon too dark for them will succumb to the power of death. I just want to test a theory."

"Test a theory? That's the reason why you're hunting them down?"

"It started with something else, but once I found out the cult's connections with death I got a little more interested."

"I know I don't have to tell you this, but be careful. Many ninja have lost their way in the search for immortality."

Michiko snorted. "You wouldn't have to worry about that. Having a little more time is always useful, but immortality is mind-numbingly boring. This world's a great sandbox, but I'd rather look for a way to die than spend an eternity here."

"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" Takumi joked.

Michiko smirked. "Perhaps. There's still some months before the exam. I'll be going immediately afterwards and I wouldn't have much time."

"So I have three months to find a Jashinist?"

"Yes."

Takumi sighed. "You ask for a lot."

"You can't say you're surprised. Jashinists aren't exactly subtle. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding them."

"Fine, fine. I'll go busy myself now."

Michiko smiled. "Then I shall see myself out."

And Michiko vanished before his eyes once again.

* * *

It was official. Team 11 were a bunch of crazies.

Since its conception, Team 11 had been marked as 'abnormal', 'special' and 'Warning: Fragile. Handle with care to avoid any 20 generation long feuds', but they weren't 'batshit insane', 'training terrors' or 'pyromaniacs-who-lay-waste-to-anything-within-a-kilometer-radius'. But ever since Arakida Noa née Yamanaka took charge, the new (and dubiously) improved Team 11 had earned themselves a fair amount of infamy much to the displeasure of the Uchiha and Nara clans.

Naturally, Shisui was lovin' the chaos.

First and foremost, there was the jounin sensei Arakida Noa. Her neighbours knew her as a sweet missy who liked to bake cookies and share them around the neighbourhood. The common ninja knew her as a hopeless romantic in a clan of romantics whose skills were notable, but her attitude sadly lacking. The ANBU knew her as the deceptively delicate housewife who socked Hatake Kakashi in the face for reading porn in front of children.

The T&I knew her as the woman Ibiki once proposed to. The fact that her mind attacks were so powerful they broke tangible, top-grade interrogation equipment meant to deal with S-rank missing-nin was a side note.

(Seriously though, have you _seen_ those tits? And just look at that booty! Who wouldn't proposition her?!)

Secondly, there was Uchiha Itachi. Every ninja worth their forehead protector knew him. He was the exalted Uchiha heir and prodigy of the generation. Not a single out-of-place emotion crossed his face and he was the perfect ninja and Uchiha in every way. You know, except for that time he set three training grounds on fire while experimenting. Or that time he blew up a section of the Uchiha main house with a new jutsu. Or that time he was found in a blazing grass field which he had accidently set on fire in his sleep. Or that time he vapourised the Naka river while practising water walking. Or that time he created a fire phoenix half the size of Konoha then proceeded to lose control of it which sent fireballs raining down over the mountains in Mountain Country causing the ice on top to melt and almost boil 5000 people to death. Or that time-

Well, let's just say one's reputation could change a lot in three months.

Thirdly, there was Nara Michiko. The sole Water Release user amongst a bunch of Fire users. The latest talent in Konoha who was unfortunately too busy with the chuunin exams to consider courtship. That was the official reason anyway. Most figured that it had more to do with the damage control she was constantly running as the only cool-headed person on the team. In the last three months, the ninja of Konoha learned that if you saw a huge raging chakra fire anywhere, she was the person to call for damage control. They also learned that if you saw her with a brush and paper, the correct course of action was to avoid her like plague to prevent any rainbow-coloured explosions and fireworks.

(Truthfully, the fireworks were really pretty, but the aftermath of having them blasted across the civilian sector of the forest wasn't.)

Lastly, there was Kouru Akio. And his life was the key to Michiko.

In order to say anything meaningful about Kouru Akio, one must first explain what a conniving bitch Nara Michiko was. Despite his close ties to his cousin and his insatiable urge to meddle in the affairs of others, Uchiha Shisui preferred to remain a spectator to the spectacle that was Team 11. He made sure to keep a close eye on them even while tracking down cannibalistic priests and vampire wannabes three countries away.

Most of the days, he went to bed dreaming of the many torturous ways he could assassinate her. She was the worst type of kunoichi. The super-smart, super-sneaky, super-stubborn kind that questioned every order, saw right through the underneath of every illusion and always, _always_ had private agendas and ulterior motives.

Basically, she made a horrible soldier. Unfortunately, ninja with the worst temperaments also happened to be the best ninja skills-wise. That was why jounin always got away with a lot more than chuunin. If you wanted to be difficult and make the Hokage wait for five hours, traumatise everyone with your youth or peek at naked women, violating a hundred and one privacy laws in the process every time you set foot in the village, you had better be damn good at your job. Seriously, nowadays, it was like a dick-measuring contest amongst the elite ninja to see who could get away with the most stuff like it was some sort of indication of their abilities.

After discovering Michiko's involvement with Itachi, Shisui searched up everything about Michiko. _Everything_. Her psyche, her skills, her background, her friends, her friend's friends, her friend's aunt's barber's psychological problems from a decade ago and when her friend's friend's grand niece's childhood friend of forty years' dog's long lost littermates' last grooming session was.

(Okay, maybe the last bit was just _a little_ exaggerated, but the point still stood.)

And no, that was completely un-creepy and definitely a un-invasion of privacy. This was, of course, a totally normal and common SOP amongst non-paranoid ninja. And being an upstanding ninja and a perfect gentlemen, Shisui had naturally used 100% legal and morally unambiguous methods to obtain all his information and he was also totally not obsessively stalking Michiko.

(Denial land was a warm, cozy place with beanbag couches, nudist parties and rainbow-shitting unicorns. Shisui was quite happy the way he was and he wasn't getting out anytime soon, thank you very much.)

From what he could tell Michiko wasn't a kind person. She wasn't altruistic and won't help people just because. Unless you benefited her somehow or it happened to be along the way, Michiko wouldn't save a thousand people from a burning building if it meant her schemes would move along slightly faster.

That begged the question: Why would someone like her want world peace? What did she stand to gain? Itachi had mentioned that she wanted to be a coffin maker. A coffin maker would surely suffer in peacetimes. Or had that been an excuse for Michiko to learn fuuinjutsu? Shisui could not think of anything so the real question was: What did she gain from _pretending_ to want world peace?

There was only one answer of consequence to Shisui. His baby cousin, Uchiha Itachi.

The next question was what did she gain from Itachi's loyalty? She was an infiltrator in the making with many important connections. Having so many was usually dangerous, but she had somehow managed to minimise the degree of danger to levels rarely seen.

How? Through emotional manipulation. She used Itachi's duty-bound nature to bind him irrevocably to her when he was emotionally vulnerable. She used Akimichi Takumi's eternal gratitude to financially aid many of her schemes of dubious legality. She used Mori Kiyomi's affection for Itachi to turn her into a powerful political tool which brought Mori Asuka on her side. Even the Hokage was not immune to this. Danzou was always a soft spot and she had attacked it mercilessly.

To answer question three, Shisui politely observed (stalked) Michiko every time she was in the village. He examined anyone she had an emotional connection with to try to figure out her motives (and make sure she wasn't doing anything funny with his baby cousin). Michiko was a decent sensor, but she was no match for ANBU stealth tactics even if Shisui was only average at them. She could probably guess that he was doing it, but there was no way of stopping him.

The most recent addition to the pile of connections was Kouru Ayano. Shisui had met her before her transformation. She was Michiko's teammate's little sister after all and that meant she was well within the scope of investigation. His intended 5-minute cursory visit extended to 5 hours and she was a nice yet cool girl to hang out with. Perhaps a little too young and civilian for his tastes, but she was a hell lot better than most of the crazy ANBU kunoichi and even more convoluted Uchiha girls.

Seriously, sometimes, the female side of Uchiha politics was even more vicious than the male side. The 'honourable' and 'noble' men settled their fights with open duels in an arena with rules and shit. The 'sweet' and 'gentle' women settled their fights with 'mysterious' deaths, 'accidental' public shaming and 'innocent' not-seductions. Guess which method had a higher casualty rate? Ayano was a sweet civilian girl with a good sense of humour and sharp wit, something of a rarity in the Uchiha clan, but her low social standing gave her the freedom to act a little more honestly and outlandishly than the other girls. She made the most amazing takoyaki and wasn't afraid to crack inappropriate jokes with him or sock him in the face playfully. Despite the occasional slip of tongue and her overwhelming personality, Shisui left thinking she was an innocent civilian girl who deserved a little more opportunities to express herself.

But somehow, Michiko had spent the same five-minutes-turned-five-hours, saw a latent kick-ass kunoichi and decided to turn her into Maito Gai 2.0.

Like seriously. Shisui wasn't joking _at all_. He saw what their morning 'warm-ups' were like and Ayano _still_ had the mental and physical energy to train with Gai for the whole afternoon. He had seen ANBU who weren't as tough as her. Sure, he'd thought she was a mentally strong girl before. She had to be to deal with all the Uchiha Drama™ bullshit going on in her family and still smile so brightly and genuinely, but he hadn't thought she was like top-tier-T &I-Yamanaka-mindtrap strong. With her insane training schedule, it would only be a few years before her capacity for rocking crushing reached her level of mental fortitude and a couple of decades before she maximised her true talents in forest pulverisation.

Was it just him or were Konoha kunoichi getting more vicious and savage every generation? No? It was just him? Fine then… at least the bust sizes were getting bigger.

Contemplations on kunoichi aside, it was thanks to Akio that Shisui managed to isolate one of Michiko's operating rules. While Michiko wasn't altruistic, she wasn't malicious either. She wouldn't help others, but that also meant that she didn't expect others help her. Shisui personally didn't agree with many of her actions and morals as she held little regard for the lives of others. But from what he noticed, she saw her own life with the same callousness she saw others in. Her values were a very difficult concept for Shisui to wrap his head around because her code of conduct was just so bizarre. Sure, many ninja and civilians didn't care for the lives of others, being too busy surviving, but to view one's own life in the same light was something Shisui didn't think he'd seen in nonsuicidal ninja.

Her actions often didn't make sense even with the few rules he had discovered. And this was where Akio came in.

Upon investigation, it was immediately apparent that Michiko had been emotionally manipulating him from day one. She made decisions for him, coaxed him into compliancy and took advantage of his poor home situation by emotionally binding him to her as she was his only emotional support. This was displayed best by openly commanding he be her 'official, permanent, unpaid, full-time PA' and Akio, a proud chauvinist, just rolled over and took it. Before he met Michiko, Akio would've violently protested at being told to do anything, especially by a younger girl.

That should be it. The end. Michiko got what she wanted: an obedient dog. But like all things Michiko, it wasn't so simple. No, Michiko just couldn't let things go as he thought it would and decided to train him _personally_. As in, spending four hours every day, time which she could've used for her experiments, to train a lap dog whose purpose was to do menial tasks. There was just no logical reason! Michiko might have decided that Akio was worth the investment, but if that's the case, she would've started training him a long time ago. If she wanted to upgrade her tool, she could've hired external help with her connections without all the trouble. There was no need to deepen an emotional connection with a minor tool and there were very little ways outside of romantic pursuits. Michiko willingly pursuing something like that was about as likely as an Uchiha-Hyuuga gathering without any glaring contests. Then again, the chances of Michiko doing something unnecessary were about as high, so why? There was no visible benefit. Was he missing something? Probably, but what?

Shisui continued observing as over the course of three months, Akio transformed from a whiny mediocre brat into a rabid guard dog that snapped at anyone who went within a (kilo) meter of Michiko.

Not all of it was Michiko's work. Arakida Noa's imposed training routine for Akio was ruthless. Six hours of sleep per day, twelve hours of training, four hours with Michiko and two hours for preparing for the next day. Her idea of dodge training was throwing massive A-rank jutsu at genin for three hours. Her idea of survival training was dumping the genin into the tokujou section of the Forest of Death while actively sabotaging their defences, sending herds of angry animals after them and hiring jounin to try to assassinate them. Her idea of a break was meditating on top of a raging waterfall while Michiko practised how to cause tsunamis.

That sort of stuff was for jounin, not genin. When not training, it was back-to-back missions, mainly bandit hunting, search and destroy and investigation missions. The kind that required full attention 100% of the time and left the genin physically and mentally exhausted. And she didn't go any easier on Itachi or Michiko either. She gave more leeway to Michiko who had government-sanctioned projects to do but she trained Itachi the way she wanted even if it interfered with his clan duties.

And telling Fugaku to fuck off? Absolutely amazing. If she hadn't been widowed so recently, Shisui would totally be hitting that right this second. (See? He could be respectful to gorgeous ladies and not act like 'a frothing dog afflicted with rabies' around them!)

Ahem, back to the topic, Michiko's interactions with Akio didn't make any sense. Not only that, when he got kicked out, she gave him a home. That could be dismissed as convenience. Akio was rarely away from her anyway, but she took care of him and even gave Akio and Ayano a new name.

Kouru. It was a name Shisui had never heard of and something Michiko likely invented. But that wasn't important, what tipped him off was the meaning of the name. '孝' for filial piety, '摟' for embrace. Suddenly, Shisui understood. To Michiko, Akio and Ayano weren't her tools, not just that anyway. But what concerned Shisui wasn't the newly christened Kouru Akio and Ayano, it was Itachi. If Michiko saw Itachi like she saw Akio and Ayano, Michiko probably had some sort of emotional attachment to Itachi.

To confirm his theory, Shisui came up with a simple, easy-to-follow, 3-step plan.

Step 1: Pry information from Itachi.

"So, Itachi." Itachi didn't bother looking up from the scroll he was reading as once again, Shisui popped out of his bedroom window.

"Is this about her again?"

Shisui grinned sheepishly. "Erm… sort of?"

Itachi gave him deadpan look No. 3. Translation: You are an idiot for thinking that was in any way subtle. *insert eye roll here* Only a blind fool would fail to notice your obvious tactics and I do not consider myself to be such.

Shisui pouted. "Cut me some slack! I'm beat after that crazy mission she sent me on and she was all like 'That's great but not specific enough. Oh by the way, I have a trillion other things I happen to be interested in that also happen to be in the area you're investigating anyway so you should search those up too.' She's a slave driver, I tell you! If she ever becomes the Nara matriarch, I'm 999999999% sure she would put all their lazy asses to work and turn the Nara into the most productive robots ever."

Itachi rolled his eyes and called him an idiot. Internally that was. Itachi actually never rolled his eyes or used 'vulgar' insults, but Shisui could totally tell when he was doing it on the inside and that was all that mattered. "What did you come here to ask?"

"So… how does Michiko-chan treat you?"

"Would you like to be a bit more specific?"

Shisui pouted. Oh, was that a little sass? How his baby cousin had grown! "Like, does she order you around or anything?"

"It is to my understanding that should I disagree with a decision she makes, I fully retain the right to refuse to associate with it in any way provided I stay out the situation completely."

Shisui sighed. Why did his baby cousin have to speak like an old fart? "But do you refuse any orders?"

"Not to date." That wasn't so surprising. Shisui doubted Itachi would refuse orders without a super legit reason and Michiko wouldn't present him with a scenario that had one.

"Okay… So does she do extra stuff?"

"Such as?"

"Erm… Like teaching you stuff?"

"Yes."

Shisui grinned teasingly. "Would you like to be a bit more specific?"

Itachi gave him another look and turned back to his scroll. Translation: As I hold information that you desire and am at the liberty to disclose, I carry the advantage. You are asking me a favour. I see no reason to entertain your nonsense.

Shisui pouted. "Aww, come on. We're best buds! Can't you loosen up a bit? Look! You already have wrinkles and you're nine!"

Itachi's lip twitched. Translation: I would roll across the floor laughing, but that would be too undignified, so I'll settle with a lip twitch to show you just how amused I am at your ineptitude.

"Don't be such a meanie! I'm your bestest cousin in the world! Just because I'm such a nice guy, I'll even sneak you your favourite after dinner dango!"

"If you take full responsibility for any consequences that may result from the deal, then I will accept your offer."

Shisui beamed. Bribery (oh, pardon the wording Itachi, it's ' _rational negotiation'_ ) always worked. "Great! So?"

"She teaches me basic fuuinjutsu and I teach her shurikenjutsu. After I've gained sufficient proficiency in the Wind Release, she will teach me the Water Release."

"And? Sneaking stuff past Mikoto-sama is worth a lot more than that! She's got eyes like a hawk and I swear she beams lasers down at me every time I'm over!"

Itachi did another internal eye roll. "Michiko-chan's top priority is improving my emotion handling capacity."

Shisui whistled. "That's one ginormous challenge right there." But it confirmed his theory. Michiko had no reason to teach Itachi that. In fact, she benefitted from keeping him ignorant as it forced Itachi to be reliant on her for decisions, thus making him more obedient and accepting of her authority.

"She shines the brightest at excessive challenges."

Shisui snorted. "No shit. The girl's a crazy witch, no other way to explain it."

"She is a thrill seeker who finds her pleasure in extravagant intellectual pursuits. There are many things you could learn from her."

"Hey! Are you calling me stupid?"

"'Stupid' implies that one does not possess the necessary intelligence to make intelligent decisions."

"Are you calling me an idiot then?"

Itachi gave no response and continued reading. Shisui pouted.

"Meanie. What did I do to deserve such cruel treatment? I even promised you dango!"

"You have the information you came for."

Shisui sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you be. You still owe me a hundred years of servitude for my greatness."

Itachi did another internal eye roll and Shisui hopped out of his window onto the roofs.

Step 2: Bug Michiko to confirm the information.

"How is my beautiful lady doing?" Michiko didn't look up from her notebook. Seriously, why did everyone always ignore him?

"She was doing perfectly fine until you arrived."

Shisui gasped theatrically. "Ah! My heart is wounded so! Please, m'lady, tell me what ails you so I may cure it immediately!"

"You are wasting my time." Oof. Testy. He must have interrupted something important then.

Shisui sighed. "Fine, fine. So, Kouru, huh?"

"It was a name I once went by."

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "Really? Weird name. I doubt anyone goes by that name."

Shisui could sense Michiko's amusement levels spike. He had no idea why, but he guessed that was a good thing? Maybe? Shisui prayed to god that it wasn't a sadistic amusement spike.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how common the name _Cole_ was."

"Was? Is it some ancient name or something?"

"Something."

Shisui sighed. She wasn't going to tell him, but it was probably something she made up. It wasn't vital information. "Ah well. I guess a weird chick needs a weird name. 'Nara Michiko' is a little too generic for you."

"Your point?"

Shisui grinned. "Raising them from the foundations, providing them with a place to call home and giving them a surname meaning 'embrace filial piety'. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

Michiko smirked and finally put down her notebook and pen. "Took you long enough. It's true."

"Why?"

"I didn't intend to adopt them. I just wanted a functioning team. I should've known better though, I got caught in my own sticky web of love."

Shisui smirked. Bingo. If it wasn't true, she won't have known what Shisui was talking about as it was quite a bizarre concept. She would've drawn out the conversation to gather information on his thoughts. Right now, she seemed to want to prove that she wasn't a threat to Itachi and while she could've planned all of this just for that sake, that made little sense. Shisui and Michiko's relationship wasn't hostile, just distrusting and that was very common in ninja/ninja relationships. Efficiency above all else. The plan was extremely time-consuming for little benefit. It just didn't suit Michiko's style.

One Michiko Mystery down. Only about a gazillion more to go. Yay.

"So my fair iron-willed maiden has a soft spot for children?"

"I guess one could say so. Being a mother has always been one of my greatest joys in life."

"Even though half your 'kids' are older than you and you're a kid yourself?"

Michiko gave an unladylike snort. "Perhaps."

"And when are you leaving your clan?"

Michiko smirked. "What gave me away?"

Shisui shrugged. "I didn't really consider it until you gave that surname to Akio and Ayano-chan. It's not really something you think about because it's so rare, but if you created a family through a name, it wouldn't be long before you take it up. You don't have much clan obligations, but being in any clan comes with many invisible restrictions. It won't be long before you outgrow the clan and being in one is no longer beneficial. I'm curious to see how you do it, though. The Nara don't have a kekkei genkai, but their hiden ninjutsu is highly prized."

"It's not really a question of whether I can leave, but what I'll have to give up. Shikaku-sama guessed it would happen a long ago and definitely has plans for it. He wouldn't openly stop me, but he'll take as much as he can get in the negotiations without making it disadvantageous for me on the whole."

"Nara-sama really does let you do a lot. What did you do for him? What do you do for him in return? Your relationship isn't so much a friendship as an alliance."

Michiko put her pen away, stood up and slammed her notebook shut. "That's for me to know and you to find out. By the way, the information report you gave me was… interesting."

Shisui was instantly wary. "In a good way or a bad way?"

Michiko gave a feline smirk. "In a very good way, of course. I'll be taking a holiday to Hot Water Country after the chuunin exams."

Shisui looked at Michiko with incredible skepticism. "Right. You. Taking a holiday. That totally makes sense and does not destroy any universal constants at all."

Michiko smiled sweetly. "And since you're such a nice guy and a complete gentleman, you will be escorting me on this little vacation."

"But you said I could take a holiday!"

"Exactly. You'll be spending a few weeks accompanying a pretty girl on a vacation to Hot Water Country. Does that not sound like a holiday to you?

"But-but it's you! A 'vacation' with you is **TROUBLE** double underlined with bold italics, Class 1 emergency alarm sounds blaring and a thousand different warning signs popping up! And no offence, but have you seen yourself in the mirror recently? You're covered in muck!"

Michiko sighed. "So am I beautiful or ugly? Make your mind up."

"In due time, m'lady. How long will we be abroad?"

Michiko shrugged. "Depends on the situation."

"You're not going to give me any information until the last minute, are you?"

Michiko smiled pleasantly. "I will give you a sufficient amount of notice. Now if you'll excuse me, I have places to be and people to take care of."

Just like that, Michiko did her vanishing act.

Step 3: Mourn for the loss of his holiday.

Michiko was a sadistic, hard-core bitch. In hindsight, he really should've known better.


	14. Love and Loyalty I

Team 11 were in Sunagakure for the chuunin exams and Itachi couldn't say he was pleased.

It wasn't the weather, the sunburn or the sandstorms like Akio theorised. It was that if Team 11 passed, and Itachi had no doubt they would, their team would be disbanded. The Uchiha were still sore over Michiko's victory despite having three months to get over it and would definitely demand that Itachi never ended up on the same team with 'the Nara girl, that Akio failure and the Yamanaka woman'. In their eyes, the fact that the Hokage placed him on the same team as them was a direct snub to the Uchiha and a poor attempt at corrupting their heir. This resulted in a lot of… 'bitching', as Shisui liked to dub it, and intensified sessions of clan propaganda for everyone. Itachi couldn't honestly say he was proud to be Uchiha at the moment.

But it was too late. Everyone on Team 11 was anti-Uchiha. If anything, the Uchiha had made things worse. Noa had been neutral towards the Uchiha before they came and tried to mess with her work. They then proceeded to take extreme offence to her resulting coolness. Long story short, Fugaku tried to intervene, assuming that Noa would automatically bow down to his status, Noa insulted him and now Noa was public enemy No. 2 and very much hostile towards the Uchiha.

As Michiko always said, good Uchiha diplomacy is no diplomacy.

But Noa was back at Konoha as she was heavily pregnant and Team 11 was alone with Michiko as team captain. As they should be. Itachi could not imagine a different team.

Kaori was out of favour and would be for quite a while. After his outburst, he had received a reprimand and some suspicions over his 'feelings' towards the 'Nara girl', but it was easily explained away by Kaori's unmistakable jealousy. While Kaori was undeniably the strongest Uchiha kunoichi his age, she wasn't very good at concealing her emotions. When Kaori was brought to question, it was childishly simple to manipulate her speech and force her to reveal her bitter feelings towards Akio and other notions that were detrimental to the team. In the end, most of the council, except for Kaori's grandfather, agreed that his rebuke had been justified.

Kaori was no longer the undisputed top candidate bride, but she wasn't giving up just yet, it seemed. The female side of Uchiha politics was now even messier than the 'bitching' male side as everyone vied for the main house's favour. Despite not having reached puberty, Itachi had already been propositioned multiple times by the lower house girls. Over the past few months, poisonings and genjutsu 'accidents' amongst the female population had increased tremendously and as the head of police, Fugaku was none too pleased. To Itachi's relief, the proposals were mostly going to Fugaku who was more interested in waiting for a higher bid than rushing him into marriage.

For this reason, Itachi was very glad to be out of Konoha for a couple of months and this made his feelings on the current situation mixed. But his feelings weren't the problem here. The problem was, once again, Michiko.

When they arrived at Suna, they were greeted well and escorted to their lodging by a chuunin. The guide made sure to take them through populated and well-travelled roads, the best sides of Suna. It was standard fare save for one road. Despite the relatively well-built homes and shops, the streets were deserted. Windows were slammed shut, doors closed and not a single soul was seen. No one save for one tiny red-haired boy.

Itachi knew who he was. He was the Kazekage's youngest son. The Uchiha took a special interest in jinchuuriki and Fugaku had told him he was most likely one. Itachi was well aware of the bias that came with the jinchuuriki status and he himself was a little wary of the child. Sunagakure's fuuinjutsu was famous for being abysmal and his sharingan could clearly see foreign chakra leaking from his belly, an obvious sign of an unstable seal. The jinchuuriki had many other seals on him, most likely to keep him under control, but it probably did more harm than good. His chakra was complete patchwork, being pulled in multiple directions by the horribly inefficient seals. There was no way he could control his bijuu. This sort of sealing work was the type that would make Michiko growl in frustration at the sheer incompetence and inefficiency blatantly displayed.

The Sunagakure chuunin tensed obviously at the sight of the jinchuuriki. And Michiko… Michiko glanced down at the jinchuuriki with a strangely blank look. It wasn't the 'I-can-use-you' look or the 'too-troublesome-to-be-bothered-with' glance. It wasn't anything Itachi had seen before. Judging from the amount of mixed emotions, it was definitely a look Itachi needed to learn.

The chuunin hurriedly moved down the street, avoiding the jinchuuriki by a large margin. They made their way to their lodging without further incidents

That was when Michiko delivered the big news.

"Erm… Michiko-chan? I don't think that's a good idea." Akio voiced hesitantly.

"Why not?"

"'Cause going near mentally unstable Kazekage kids isn't a good idea in general?" At this Michiko paused and- was she actually considering Akio's words?

"Michiko-chan, while I have great confidence in your abilities, I'm afraid that I do not understand what you stand to gain."

Michiko pursued her lips. "I guess the both of you are right. I'll secure the base fully, the two of you will scout out the competition. I have other business to take care of as well, so if you find me gone when you come back, do not worry."

Akio breathed a sigh of relief but Itachi wasn't so easily pleased. Michiko almost never listened to their advice, mainly because they had no advice to give that she hadn't already considered and generic ninja common sense didn't really apply to Michiko's tactics. Was she just saying it to placate them? There was no need. They were both sworn to her. Michiko had seemed displeased, but there was… something else.

Itachi decided not to say anything. Now wasn't appropriate and there was work to be done. Akio and Itachi headed out of the room. The building they were in housed all non-Suna entrants. They had arrived three whole weeks earlier (because of Michiko's paranoia) so not many had arrived, but it was always good to get a headstart.

Since there were only nine other genin in the building, scouting was short work. There was one other Konoha team, a Kiri team and an Iwa team. The Iwa team glared daggers at his Uchiha fan when they passed by, but they weren't a serious threat. Michiko already had comprehensive information on all Konoha genin teams and the Kiri team was too bloodthirsty and easily riled, making them easy targets for a Michiko-type kunoichi. Luckily, Akio's anger management had improved and Itachi didn't need to pry them apart.

Within three hours, they had gathered enough information to meet Itachi's exacting standards and they returned to the room. Michiko was unsurprisingly absent. Now would be a good time to do something he'd been putting off for far too long.

"Akio-san, there is something I meant to tell you."

"What?"

"You swore fealty to my Master."

"You mean Michiko-chan? Yeah, why? Got a problem with that?"

"No. It is not my place to decide who my Master recruits. But as I am sure she has made you aware, fealty to her is eternal, just like her fealty to us. Our loyalty will last past death."

"Yeah, so what's your point?"

"I am her Ninja. You are her Protector. I don't intend to infringe on your duties, neither am I questioning your capabilities. But should you falter, my loyalty to my Master and her cause will stand strong. Even past her death, I will ensure her will is done and with her death, a protector is no longer needed."

Akio took a few seconds to process this before realising what was being said. "Are you saying that you will kill me if I let Michiko-chan die?"

"I will carry out her will and fulfil her cause. I am a Ninja, a physical extension of my Master's will. All who stand in her way shall fall before my blade."

Akio snarled. "Fuck you! You think you're the perfect ninja? You think you're better than me? I'm the one who will protect her, I'm the one who will be by her side every second of the day, something you can't do! If you fail her, I'll fuck you over too!"

"There is no need. I am her Ninja. Failure is unacceptable. I shall accept any punishment she sees fit should I fail to meet her expectations. Can you say the same?"

"Michiko-chan isn't like that!"

Itachi's eyes flashed. Was he serious? Itachi honestly could not understand why Michiko chose to let Akio into her folds. He wasn't even taking his commitment, his _duty_ , to her seriously. From what he could see, it was all just talk. As a clan ninja raised in duty and obligation and as a realist who valued action and results over words and promises, Itachi couldn't understand Akio. But Itachi was serious. He was always serious. And he had been serious when he said he would kill Akio if he failed Michiko.

"You seem to be misunderstanding something. She isn't just 'Michiko-chan' anymore. She isn't just our team captain and sister-in-arms. She is our Master."

"Then why do you call her 'Michiko-chan'?"

"Because addressing her as 'Michiko-sama' in public would be beyond idiocy. When at all possible, we are not to speak of her so callously, neither are we to presume what she may do. We are to fulfil all duties to her no matter the cost, be it our mind, our blood or our lives. We are to follow her orders till we are rendered useless and see her will past our dying breath. That is what is meant by eternal fealty. Do you not understand?"

"Well maybe to you, but we're different! Michiko-chan and I are different! I'm not her ninja and Michiko-chan made sure to tell me that. I help her do her work and she cares about me and Ayano. She's going to help us get an apartment and we'll be neighbours then. She trains me, cooks me stuff and gives me hugs. If I was just her servant, she wouldn't do that shit!"

Immaturity at its finest. Akio truly didn't understand the meaning of eternal fealty. He didn't understand the finespun relationship between Master and Servant. Moreover, he didn't understand Michiko's take on said relationship. Itachi had had nothing against Akio. He had an atrocious family situation, a lackluster upbringing and a horrible education. Under Michiko and Noa's guidance, both his attitude and skills had vastly improved and Itachi believed that if afforded the right guidance, any man could change for the better. But he was no longer just a teammate. He was a fellow servant and such behaviour was inexcusable.

"Just as we have duties to her as her servants, she has duties to us as our Master. She was merely fulfilling those duties."

"Well, you're wrong! It isn't all about duty to her. Michiko-chan isn't like that, she doesn't care about that shit. She cares about us. She isn't just our master, she is our home, she is our life! I don't care what you have to say, our relationship isn't so clear cut, relationships never are. Michiko-chan is Michiko-chan and I am I, there's no need to label our relationship like that!"

"Defining relationships is one of the most important things about them. Relationships need to be labelled for one to fully understand its parameters quickly and efficiently. She doesn't care for clan duties, but that is merely due to their lack of value towards her. Eternal fealty is something she prizes highly. Duty and affection are two that must be kept separate. You would do well to remember that."

"Fuck that! Fuck you! You don't get to tell me what to do! I lo-like Michiko-chan and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"You are a fool if you think she hasn't noticed."

"Well, she isn't saying anything about it, is she?"

"Condoning such actions is vastly different from desiring them."

"But that means she doesn't mind!"

"You are a fool."

"I could say the same about you, bastard."

By now, Itachi was openly glaring at Akio without even realising it. Akio was doing the same. Before they knew it, they were engaged in a very intense Uchiha-style glaring contest. The only reason they hadn't pulled out their sharingan and begun a genjutsu-layering war was because Akio didn't have a sharingan and Itachi felt that using his would be admitting defeat.

"Boys, what's going on?" Itachi and Akio snapped out of their glaring contest. Michiko had returned and gave them such a look of pure disappointment that they both felt guilty instantly.

"I apologise. Akio-san and I had a little disagreement regarding the topic of relationships."

"The bastard said you didn't care about us and that you're just using us!"

"That was not my intended-"

Michiko held her palm out. "Enough. I can guess what it was about." Michiko sighed and rubbed her face. "Itachi, relationships vary from one another. My relationship with Akio is different from yours. I will handle my relationships as I see fit. There is no need to patronise Akio."

Itachi got down to one knee. "I apologise for my impudence."

Michiko turned to Akio. "Akio, Itachi has a very particular view on human relationships. He adheres to his own rules zealously and you must be aware that many think and act the same way he does. Let live what you cannot change."

Akio huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine." He still glared at Itachi out of the corner of his eye. Itachi kept his head bowed and his eyes on the floor.

"Raise, Itachi." Itachi stood up. "Remember that there is a reason why I didn't appoint you as my public relations manager. The information?"

Itachi took out a scroll and handed it to Michiko. Michiko pocketed it.

"I will leave you boys be. I fully expect the base to be intact when I return."

With one last warning glance, Michiko left, a clear message to Itachi to sort things out. Regardless of her reasons, Michiko had put a lot of work into improving Akio and making him get along with Itachi. Itachi had sabotaged that. After waking from her coma, Michiko had had a ton of work to do. On top of reconditioning, there was the whole political mess with the Uchiha, her business machinations, maintaining her contacts, more politics with the Shimura, fuuinjutsu experiments to satisfy the Nara, barrier work for the Sandaime, getting Akio to swear allegiance, training Ayano, analysing Shisui's information, dealing with Shisui's overprotectiveness and the list just never ended. She had perpetual dark rings beneath her eyes and she looked pale as a ghost, save for her irritated acne. There were several times when she looked moments away from collapse. Itachi felt guilty for increasing her workload when he should be doing the very opposite. The least Itachi could do was deal with Akio.

"Akio-san, I am sure you have noticed her weary disposition as of late. It would not do to cause her further stress. How about we agree to disagree?"

Akio frowned. "Fine. But only because of Michiko-chan."

"But of course. Our fealty is our common ground."

"All you talk about is fealty. Do you even care about her or do you just care about what she gives you?"

"Giving eternal fealty to a leader one doesn't believe in is a fool's move. Of course I worry for her. Her work ethic, while admirable, is rather unhealthy."

"Well yeah, but Michiko-chan is stubborn as hell! She's not going to listen."

"I am her Ninja. It is not my place to question her. But if I'm understanding this correctly, as her Protector, you maintain that right. As her Protector, your top priority is her health, not her happiness. My Master is strong-willed, for better or for worse. Taking care of her was never going to be easy."

Akio glared at him. "I know that! You don't have to tell me what to do!"

"But will you do it?"

"Fine. I'll make sure she gets the rest she needs."

Itachi nodded. "Good. The best way to convince her is through logic and reason."

"Right. That totally wasn't most obvious piece of advice I've heard this century. What are you going to tell me next? That water is wet and fire is hot?"

Itachi could figuratively feel Michiko's disappointment level shoot through the roof. She had taken the effort to _explicitly_ tell him not to patronise Akio and he had done exactly that within half a minute. Michiko was not only his Master but his teacher and counsellor in all things relating to human emotion. That meant that he had failed her on two accounts. Furthermore, he was dealing with a well-known variable and had been left with crystal clear instructions. It had been a completely basic level interaction that he should have been able to handle with his current skill level yet he still managed to flounder incompetently and fail.

Completely unacceptable.

"I did not mean to imply anything untoward towards you. I shall leave you to your duties."

"I'll take care of Michiko-chan perfectly well. You'll see!"

* * *

It was night in Sunagakure and the temperature had dropped drastically. Michiko was seated on a window ledge, well within the protective barriers she had laid out meticulously. Akio was in bed, snoring away. Now was appropriate.

"Michiko-sama." Itachi had never really settled on a form of address for Michiko. He called her 'Michiko-chan' in public as was expected, but he had always refrained from using her name when it was just the two of them. But Akio had shown that he needed to define the line between the two of them very clearly to avoid confusion.

"I don't wish to be called so."

"Michiko-hime." That was better. It acknowledged one's higher social status, but when used inappropriately could be taken as mocking. Since she would be viewed by most as someone of lower status to him, the Uchiha would take it as him deriding her. It achieved its purpose and made fun of those not in on the secret, just the type of move Michiko liked.

Michiko sighed. "I suppose that's all right. What is it, Itachi?"

"The Suna jinchuuriki. Forgive me if I am overstepping my bounds, but are you alright?" Michiko seemed unsurprised that Itachi knew of the child's jinchuuriki status, neither was this new information to her.

Michiko rubbed her face and looked at him. Now, more than ever, she looked tired. Worn. She had washed out her concealer for the night and without it, her baggy eyes were prominent against her pale skin. Her rough skin showed her poor hygiene practices and you could always tell when she'd last taken a bath by her smell. Her hair was out of its bun and hung limply at varying lengths, some up to her shoulders, most down to her elbow. It wasn't a style. Rather, it looked as if Michiko had taken scissors and randomly chopped off some of her locks. Itachi knew Michiko only grew her hair out for fuuinjutsu purposes, so that was probably what happened.

"You were right about Gaara. He will be useful, very useful, but I have much more important business to take care of. Even if I don't do anything, everything will turn out well in the end."

"Then why?" It wasn't like Michiko to do anything uncalculated.

Michiko shrugged and sighed wearily once more.

"I guess I just hated that look on his face."

Itachi instantly froze. Michiko… Michiko had seriously considered approaching such a threat on… on a whim? No, Michiko would never do such a thing. It had been… compassion? Something Itachi had thought Michiko had little, if any, of. An oddly placed compassion and Itachi couldn't fathom where it came from.

Itachi was loyal to Michiko. But that did not mean Itachi was blind to her faults like Shisui assumed. Michiko could be very merciless and callous. She saw the world in an amazing array of possibilities and her mind knew no limits, her morals hit no barriers. That may sound liberal and great to most ninja, but it meant that she crunched the numbers and calculated the odds ruthlessly. The human and emotional aspects were taken into account in a stunningly accurate but quantitative way. She saw neither good nor bad, but profit and loss. While she did seem to follow some sort of code, her sense of justice was very much disputable when compared with conventional moral codes.

There were times where she seemed warm and human, like when Itachi swore loyalty to her and when he weighed her above all else. Few and far between though they were, Itachi cherished those moments when he felt truly accomplished. It was through all this that Itachi was confident Michiko would succeed. It was through all this that Itachi knew Michiko would take her commitments to her death bed if needs be just as he would for her. The complete confidence, the total trust, it was so easy for him to deify Michiko and call it a day.

But it was only now that it truly hit home. Michiko was human just like him, just like everyone else. A human who thought and acted in a foundationally radical way, but a human no less with emotions and bias they swayed her choices. Itachi had no doubt that there were logic and reason behind her moves but perhaps she wasn't as cold and ruthless as he thought she was.

And against all logical analysis and reasoning, Itachi found that he rather liked this facet of Michiko.

"But why him? Is it truly profit?" Itachi was sure Michiko had seen much more misfortune than he had and he knew she didn't stop to help most of them. If she did, she would never get anything done.

Michiko's smile was bitter. She swung her legs around and held her arms open. Itachi walked up to her. Michiko wrapped her arms around him, her hands glowing green and the usual calming effect settled upon him. Itachi straddled her lap and nestled his face in her bosom. When he was still a baby and his father was out, he would crawl into the master bed and lie on his mother's chest, just like now. With the added chakra intimacy and the knowledge that it didn't matter if they were caught, Itachi always found a great sense of calm and quiet.

"In a time separate, there was a man. He wasn't particularly wise, nor was he a man of noble intentions. But he had a talent. When he spoke, people listened. When he fought, his allies died for him. When he grieved, so did his people. His spirit shone more brilliantly and intensely than anyone else. I studied his ways and adapted them as mine. I learned much from him and I wouldn't be here today without him.

"He is the opponent I regard with the most affection so I made sure to break him thoroughly. Our final battle and its results resounded through all concerned. I conquered all he owned and didn't look back. Regret and guilt were foreign to me and I never once considered whether I wanted to destroy him or not. It had all been written in my book of plans and they shall be carried out, nothing more.

"One day, I took a stroll along the land I all but owned. I glanced down and there he was: huddled in the corner of the street with his face buried between his knees, too ashamed to show his face to the world. It was a wonder I even recognised him. He looked up at me and then I saw it. The look that told me he had lost everything, that he was worth no more. The look of despair.

"I hated that look. I hated that look on his face. I remembered a strong man whose spirit stood infallible to all but me. That look did not belong there, it was not meant to be. The disconcerting sense of wrongness was not born by a sense of morality or injustice. It was born of loss and ire.

"It was the first time I ever felt the need to right a wrong. Not quite knowing what compelled me, I picked him off the streets. I gave him dignity, I gave him power, I gave him love. It was a long and slow process. At times, I wondered what I was doing, why I was doing what I was. But before I realised what was happening, he became my most loyal soldier, my most ardent supporter and my most beloved child. He was my biggest success and my greatest pride.

"Looking back, there were many things in my life that I am ashamed of. Many mistakes made of ignorance and foolishness. But by abandoning a family, by leaving a world behind me, I learned how to create one. That is something I do not regret. But who knows? Perhaps I will. Perhaps when death comes and takes me away, rips my world away once more, I will regret.

"Gaara… Switch his hair colour, darken his skin, change a couple features and the resemblance is uncanny. Moreover, the look he gave me, while of different intensity and nuance, was the same. I can see it. I can see the great man Gaara will grow up to be regardless of my influence. I suppose it was a moment of weakness."

Itachi had no idea what or who Michiko could be talking about, but that wasn't unusual. Itachi sometimes asked Michiko why she did what she did. Not because he was questioning her decision, but so he could learn about both strategy and Michiko. Occasionally, Michiko would tell Itachi one of her stories in lieu of explanation. Most sounded impossible and the specific details were vague, just like this one. But the emotion behind them was always so life-like Itachi found himself believing them to be her experiences despite all logical conclusions. Itachi was hers. There was no reason for her to spin tales.

And right now, Michiko needed his help.

"Do what you feel is right, not what is considered right. That was the first lesson you taught me."

Michiko glanced at him in surprise before smirking. "I suppose so. I guess I forgot myself for a moment. What's life without a little strife and spice, after all?"

"I doubt that is your only reason."

"No. No, it isn't."

Itachi didn't ask for her motivations. He had no doubt many had before him and he was equally certain she would not give an answer. He had many questions about many things. Like why she took care of Akio. Why she wanted to change the world when she was so comfortable in it. Why she chose to specially order a hairstick with a Konoha symbol for foreign country matters instead of just wearing a forehead protector. Itachi wanted to know everything there was to know about his Master. But Itachi didn't ask, Itachi never asked. Michiko would give him answers as she saw fit.

"You wonder about Akio, don't you?"

"I'm afraid so." Itachi admitted.

"You are loyal to a cause, an idea, a future. But Akio is loyal to a person. He is loyal to love and family, right or wrong be damned."

"I do not understand him."

"Neither does he and you don't have to. It would be best if you could as there are many like him just within your own clan. However, I do not expect you to in the foreseeable future."

And since Michiko had proved that she could see quite a bit of the future, enlightenment was a long way off for Itachi. And Itachi was fine with that. It still bothered the Ninja side of him slightly, but he was slowly getting used to the fact that it was okay not to understand. Michiko was with him and she would understand what he couldn't. If she couldn't understand it, then there was little hope of him understanding it anyway. The absoluteness Michiko provided had become a staple in Itachi's life and despite the alarming dependence, Michiko had shown him that abstinence and strict restraint only led to more problems.

"I will do what I can. I will do what I must."

"I would expect no less from you. Tomorrow, I will make contact with Gaara. You are to stay and keep Akio occupied by surveying the village and any new arriving genin. After the exams, I will be taking a trip with Shisui. I am unsure as to how long I will be gone, but during that time, you are to watch over Akio and Ayano. Her training time with Gai aside, I will be leaving Ayano's education to you during this period. She wouldn't become a ninja, but make sure to educate her on some of the technical procedures, showing them to her would be preferable. Introduce her to as wide a variety of ninja as you can. If you find time, take Ayano out for some combat experience. Ayano is very important to not just me, but you as well. Do not fail."

Important to him? What could that mean? Would Ayano somehow benefit him greatly in the future? Itachi didn't have much contact with Ayano. Other than a few pleasantries exchanged while fetching Akio, he hadn't talked to her. She seemed like a pleasant enough girl and wasn't infatuated with him, so Itachi hoped she wouldn't be trouble.

"I will not fail you."


	15. Love and Loyalty II

"It's here!"

Once the alarm was sounded, parents quickly herded their children away, shooting him fearful glances. Within two minutes, the playground was empty, leaving Gaara alone. Again.

"Your name is Gaara." Gaara's head snapped up as his eyes widened in surprise. Someone had stayed?

"Yes. Nice to meet you. I'm Gaara. What's your name?" Yashamaru said it was always polite to greet older people first. Yashamaru said a lot of things Gaara didn't understand, but right now, he desperately wanted to.

"Nara Michiko." Michiko held her arm out. Why was she holding her hand out? He hadn't tripped or anything.

"It's a handshake. Used as a greeting or when completing agreements."

Gaara hastily held his hand out and grasped Michiko's as gently as he could. For a second, he was afraid that his sand would come out and attack her, but it didn't. Michiko shook his hand up and down for a few seconds before releasing it.

"Would you like to spar?"

"S-spar?"

"I'm a kunoichi." That was weird. Ninja usually vanished when they saw him. Unless they were trying to kill him. Gaara jolted. Could Michiko be trying to kill him? He hoped not. She talked to him. She seemed nice.

"You're not afraid? You wouldn't kill me?"

Michiko gave him a smile and Gaara was taken aback. It was a warm smile, full of love, affection and care. Everything Gaara wanted. But as she tilted her head, Gaara caught sight of the metal hairstick she used to bun up her hair. There was a dangling Konoha leaf at the end and Gaara noticed that she didn't have a Suna forehead protector. Only sworn ninja were allowed to wear their village symbol and they had to wear it on ninja events outside of their country. Gaara remembered because he'd thought the leaf was a snail and got into an argument with Yashamaru about it.

So she just didn't know he was a monster. Good. Gaara wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

"There is never a need to fear and I have no reason to kill you." Michiko approached him slowly and reached out. Gaara froze in fear as Michiko scooped him up in her arms. Even though his sand didn't attack her, Gaara didn't dare to move.

"I will not harm you."

Gaara shook his head fiercely. "No! It's just… my sand. It'll hurt you. I don't want you to die."

Michiko gave him another warm smile. "Don't worry, I'm not interested in dying just yet. I have too many things on my agenda and most of them can only be done if I'm alive."

Gaara blinked. He didn't quite understand what she was talking about, but judging by her reassuring tone, he guessed that she was telling him that she wouldn't die.

"So you're strong?"

"In my own way. Now hold on tight." Gaara clung to her arm and Michiko took to the rooftops. The wind blew past Gaara as the scenery zoomed past them. Gaara knew Michiko wasn't as fast as Yashamaru, but she was still pretty fast and it gave Gaara hope.

Not five minutes had past when Michiko touched down. It was a training ground Gaara didn't recognise. He had never been to this part of Suna before.

"Shall we spar?"

"You're sure? You're really not afraid?"

Once again, Michiko gave him that smile.

"No."

Michiko threw a kunai at him. His sand shield automatically caught it.

"Attack me." Michiko's smile remained steady and encouraging. Gaara hesitated. He didn't want to hurt her, but maybe, maybe Michiko was strong enough and she wouldn't get hurt.

He held his arm out and the sand obeyed his command, rushing to attack her. Michiko effortlessly dodged it by a wide margin. He tried again, a little faster this time, and failed. Michiko threw another kunai which was easily caught by his sand shield.

Again and again, Gaara tried to hit her. To his incredulous joy, nothing found its mark. Half an hour later, Gaara was panting and Michiko was completely unscathed.

"You're strong!"

Michiko's smile was amused. "You're good for a kid, but you're no Uchiha Itachi. Your attacks and defences are both completely predictable. Your strikes are powerful but slow."

Gaara frowned. What did she mean? "So… you're not strong?"

"What I mean is that it doesn't matter how strong you are. If you can't hit your opponent, power means nothing."

"What are you saying?"

Michiko walked over to him and patted his head. The sand did not react.

"There are different types of strength. Everyone had a slightly different version of it."

"So my strength is not good against yours? Like janken?"

"Not exactly. If you become faster and smarter, one day, you will hit me."

Gaara's hopes rose. "So if I'm slow, I wouldn't hurt anyone?"

Michiko shook her head. "No. You will still harm those you are faster than. Even then, accidents happen. Your control is weak. It is easy to hurt someone accidently."

Gaara's shoulders drooped. "So I'll always hurt people?"

"No. Like I said, your control is weak. But if your control becomes strong, you will be able to control your power. That way, you will only hurt people if you want to."

Gaara's eyes widened. "So I don't have to hurt people?"

"Yes. The strength you need is not power. You have more than enough. What you need is control."

"How do I learn control? How do I get more control?"

"I can help you. Do you want help?"

Gaara had never nodded so rapidly. "Of course! I don't want to be a monster anymore!"

Michiko hugged him. They were sticky, sweaty and sandy but Gaara relished in the warmth.

"You are no monster. You are Gaara. From today onwards, you are my son. I will love you, I will cherish you, I will give you everything you need. But in my world, there is no such thing as free lunch. Knowing this, what is your choice?"

"I don't want to be like this anymore! I want to be better! I don't care what I have to do!"

Michiko stroked his head. "Very well. I will make your dream come true."

* * *

At five-years-old, Gaara was a child intimate with isolation. His father offered him no love, only power and his uncle was the only one who treated him with kindness. He was shunned, feared and he did not know why.

At five-years-old, Gaara was a desperate child, easily moulded by love and affection. With the right care, he would bloom into a precious desert flower. But he was placed in the care of those blind to his potential, left to grow into a deformed interpretation of his true form.

At five-years-old, Gaara's forehead was still unmarked by the kanji of love. Unmarked by the vow he would swear by: to live only for himself. Michiko had fulfilled dreams and made great men out of far less.

"Kaa-chan!" Michiko opened her door and there Gaara stood, beaming brightly at her. Just two weeks and already Gaara was proving to be exceptional. He would recover quickly. She had asked him to meet her here as it was best to introduce Akio to Gaara in a controlled environment. Hearing Gaara's voice, Akio made his way to the door and Itachi followed. Catching sight of Gaara, Akio froze for a few moments before doing a facepalm.

"Michiko-chan, _no._ "

Michiko stared down at Akio stubbornly. "Michiko-chan, yes."

"But- Why do you always have to do dangerous things?"

"Because I want to. Besides, Gaara isn't dangerous."

"Not dangerous?!" Akio squeaked.

"He's five."

"Five-year-olds can be very dangerous! I mean, just look at the both of you!" Akio waved his hands wildly at them.

Michiko crossed her arms and gave him her no-nonsense look. Akio obviously recognised it.

"I will not budge on this matter."

"You wouldn't budge on any matter! It's too dangerous!" Akio looked at Itachi. "Itachi! Back me up!"

Itachi frowned. "I do not believe that the jinchuuriki is a threat and Suna is an allied country. Michiko-hime should not get into any trouble. She will do what she deems is right and no less. To deny her this would be to deny the code she lives by."

"But Michiko-chan's code is dangerous! That very code will destroy her! What kind of ninja are you, standing by and watching your-"

"Akio." Michiko quickly intercepted him. ANBU were observing her. She did not trust her barriers to keep them out just yet. Letting slip of Itachi's relationship to her was not something she wanted. "You will continue this discussion outside."

"But Michiko-chan-" Michiko drew her kunai. Akio's eyes widened.

"Allow me to clarify. You will continue this discussion outside or you will not continue it at all. Itachi."

Itachi nodded, obviously understanding that they were being watched. "Akio-san. Allow us to step outside."

"But-"

"I understand your concerns. I do not believe that the child is dangerous, but he has many who would wish to protect him. Michiko-hime wouldn't be safe in Suna, but I trust that she can handle this alone. Let us step outside and give Michiko-hime her privacy."

Itachi was trying to hint that there were people watching them without giving it away. Akio didn't really get Itachi's message, but by now, he understood that there was something he wasn't getting. Michiko was quite proud of him. He didn't have frequent violent temper tantrums anymore and while he couldn't pick up subtleties, his instincts were developed enough for him to sense when something was wrong.

"Fine then. We'll talk later." Akio stomped past Gaara melodramatically. Itachi followed behind him, giving her a nod on the way out. Itachi would be back later with Akio when he was sure it was safe.

The door slammed shut, leaving behind a still silence.

"You knew?" Gaara whispered. "You knew about me? About it?"

"Yes."

"Then why? Why are you here?"

"You are not a threat."

"But I could kill you!"

"If I shied away from potential death, I would be curled up in a ball back in Konoha without a forehead protector. To fear death is foolish."

"You're-you're not afraid of death?"

"Why would I be? Death is just another experience that, I assure you, is nothing special. It is quite a useful tool."

Gaara stared up at Michiko uncomprehendingly, clearly not understanding such an abstract concept. Nevertheless, Michiko liked seeing Gaara try to work through her words and understand them. It allowed him new perspectives and it was a skill applicable no matter where he went. Trying to look underneath would give him a better understanding of the world, a skill he needed if he was to avoid his previous fate. But she was getting ahead of herself. For now, Michiko was unsure as to how the Kazekage would react, though she was fairly certain he would not kill her. But if he attempted to separate her from Gaara, she would have to use a very risky method to keep him. It would probably end up with her becoming a nuke-nin and Gaara tagging along.

Again, she was getting ahead of herself.

"So you're okay if you die? How can you be okay?"

"I'm fine with dying, but it's rather inconvenient. I would prefer to live a little longer."

"Me too! I don't want you to die! You're not going to die, right?"

Michiko patted his head. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. You will be beautiful and I will see to that personally. I will accept no less."

Gaara's forehead scrunched for a couple seconds before his expression cleared up. "So you're going to make me a not monster?"

Michiko smirked. "Now, now, don't diss monsters. They can be beautiful too."

Gaara looked even more confused. "So you're going to make me a beautiful monster?"

Michiko shook her head. "You're not a monster. There are many things out there far scarier than the thing inside you."

Gaara's eyes widened. "There are?"

Michiko nodded. "Yes. What I meant was that monster or not, you should still try to understand it."

"But why? Monsters are scary. Shouldn't you stay away from them?"

"Because monsters have feelings too. You see how everyone fears you?" Gaara nodded. "That's because they don't understand you. People fear what they do not understand. If everyone was like me and tried to talk to you, tried to understand you, then they would know you are not dangerous. Have you harmed me at all in the past few days?"

Gaara shook his head. "No, but sometimes accidents happen. I hurt people."

"Yes, but if they tried to understand you, they would know that. They would know that you aren't trying to hurt them, they would know how to avoid getting hurt without hurting you too."

"So if everyone understood monsters, then monsters wouldn't be scary anymore? Then there wouldn't be any more monsters?"

"Yes. A monster is just fear."

"So if everyone isn't afraid of me, I wouldn't be a monster?"

"Not exactly. Tell me, am I afraid of you?" Gaara shook his head. "Then to me, you are not a monster. Are you afraid of yourself?" Gaara hesitated before nodding. "Then you are a monster to yourself."

"So being a monster depends on the person?"

"Yes. Just like how some people think vegetables taste good and some think it's bad. It's all about the person."

Gaara nodded, slowly understanding the concept of perception. "So if I don't think I'm scary, then I'm not?"

"Yes. You just need to understand the monster inside of you." Michiko kneeled down in front of him and place a hand on his belly.

"I need to understand… it?"

"Yes. Why does it hurt people? Is it intentional or an accident? Is it because he's in pain or is it because he likes it? If you know that, then you would be better at controlling your monster."

Gaara nodded in understanding. "So that's the secret? I just have to understand it? But how?"

"I can help you with that, but first, I'll probably need a talk with the Kazekage."

"My father? Why?"

"For the last week, I've helped you by placing seals around the room that temporarily interfere with some seals messing up your control. But there is only so much I can do without placing seals directly on you. If I do that, it can be taken as an act of war."

"So you can't help me if father says no?"

"I could, but lots of people could die. You don't want that, right?"

Gaara shook his head, obviously disappointed, but hopeful at the same time. "Do you think he'll say yes?"

"If he knows what's good for him. Suna is depreciating fast and playing safe wouldn't change that."

"So you think he'll say yes?"

"I'm hopeful. There's not much else I can do. Let me check over you one last time."

Gaara nodded obediently and Michiko sent her chakra into his system. It was another reason why she learned iryoninjutsu. It was complimentary to fuuinjutsu and allowed her to better utilise the bizarre mix of mathematics and language that was fuuinjutsu. She was just experienced enough to safely prod at his chakra systems and make a mental map of the seals she had identified. Of the 68 she had identified, Michiko was confident that at least 42 of them did more harm than good when they were implemented. Michiko knew that there were definitely more and it was hard to maintain her calm and cooling healing chakra when she was ranting internally at the sheer incompetence and inefficiency of the seals.

Instead, she focused on what she could do about them. She could probably remove 10 of them easily, perhaps half of that covertly. But she always discovered something new every time she scanned him and she didn't want to risk it. The fuuinjutsu on Gaara were filled with looping holes, unnecessary commands, space-inefficient overlapping seals and fragile components that were all connected. Taking out the wrong portions could trigger an unwelcome reaction. If she went in without full knowledge, it was all too easy to hit something wrong. Each seal had so many unnecessary layers disintegrating and overlapping each other, forming volatile blobs of chakra in his system. Since such delicate fuuinjutsu operations were essentially chakra surgery, Michiko wasn't completely sure she could pull it all off and multiple operations would be needed. Ideally, she would just create the counter seals and instruct actual surgeons on what to , Michiko had taken a walk around the Suna hospital and found that she, a field patch medic, was better off doing it herself than relying on Suna's brain surgeons.

Basically, she needed more knowledge. She needed a full map of Gaara's chakra system, which would definitely be guarded 24/7 by ANBU. To get that, she would need the Kazekage's approval.

Michiko withdrew her chakra after half an hour and sighed. She had discovered two more seals and they weren't good news either. Gaara's situation was slippery at best and it all hung on the Kazekage's decision. Michiko didn't like to have her game plans be based around a single person's decision, but she didn't have influence over the Kazekage.

If the Kazekage approved though, there were a lot of boons to be won. She would have a very unsuspicious reason to switch tracks to iryoninjutsu and it tied in nicely with Itachi's situation. She had already sent a letter to the Sandaime and judging from his reply, she would be getting a free pass on a lot of things the Sandaime had requested from her in exchange for this. Sarutobi valued peace and alliances and Suna's alliance was a little too shaky for comfort. She was also sure he would back her up and assure the Kazekage of her skills. While Gaara's situation was a massive headache, Michiko actually figured that she would have more time as a result of this, even if she would have to postpone her 'vacation'. She hadn't heard back from Takumi anyway.

Michiko wondered what else she could do with Gaara. She had already marked all perimeters of his sand shield abilities, analysed his jinchuuriki seal, done a full body scan, did a quick chakra test for both his chakra and Shukaku's, gained his trust and gave him a couple of life lessons. She was very frustrated it took her two whole weeks to get so little done and that she could do nothing but wait and make plans that could be easily invalidated with new information. She had other things to do, she always did, but there were ANBU crawling all over and most of her business didn't paint her in a trustworthy light. Chuunin exam business could be left to the boys and most of her network was in Konoha. She could do networking in Suna, but she didn't want to make it seem like she was doing this for connections. She would start networking after she was well established in Suna.

For now, she could only sit pretty and act her part. It was best to go with the public stereotyping of Konoha female specialists (dominant, no-nonsense and capable) as well as mix in some of the stereotypes for child geniuses (eccentric, intelligent and resourceful). Michiko liked playing with stereotypes and preconceived notions. They were amusing and usually worked out well for her.

The knock on the door startled her a little, though she made sure not to show it. Unless it was a random stranger or room service, it was probably someone from the Kazekage. And sure enough, when she opened the door, there stood Baki. Baki was one of the highest ranking Suna ninja. Despite being on the Suna council, he was open to new ideas and kept his head and priorities straight in tight situations. Just the type of person Michiko liked to work with.

"Nara Michiko. The Kazekage would like to meet you." Straight and to the point. If she had been a tokujo and above, Baki would've probably added pleasantries before this. It was a way of distancing them and pointing out their gap in authority, but Michiko didn't particularly mind as long as things got done faster.

"When?"

"Now."

Michiko sighed and stretched, reaching down to pat Gaara's head. "Go find my teammates by air. Stick with the pretty boy and don't listen to the angry one."

Gaara looked worried. "You'll be okay, right?"

Michiko shrugged. "I'll probably live. Go now. I'll see you soon."

Gaara thought for a while, then beamed up at her. "Yeah! I'll see you soon!"

Gaara left through the window in typical ninja style (oh, she was so proud of him) via a sand cloud and Michiko turned to Baki.

"Shall we leave?"

Baki turned without a word and Michiko followed him. They garnered quite a few curious stares from jounin who caught sight of them on the roofs. They were definitely going to be the top of the gossip mill for a while.

The Kazekage tower wasn't nearly as grand as Konoha's, but it served its purpose with crude efficiency. Baki led her up the stairs and they were once again greeted with scrutinising stares.

Only the Kazekage's secretary didn't give them a second glance.

"The Kazekage will see you now."

* * *

To say Rasa had a dilemma was a gross understatement.

When ANBU reports came in about a Konoha genin approaching Gaara, he had naturally been cautious. It was no secret that Sunagakure was getting weaker every year. Was this Konoha's way of determining whether they were still worth being allied to? But it was obvious that Gaara lacked control over his bijuu to anyone with a good pair of eyes. Perhaps this was an individual's interest, but what for? Konoha had their own jinchuuriki, a much more powerful one at that.

So Rasa ordered a background check and the results were not good. Nara Michiko was well-known within Konoha from the stunt she pulled with the Uchiha. She was favoured by Nara Shikaku, Head of the Nara Clan, former jounin commander, Konoha Council member and an all around dangerous man. There were indications that she had Sarutobi's ear as well and she was known for her independence. Any other genin and Rasa might have ordered some of his ninja to target her during the exams. The chuunin exam was an excellent place to get rid of future threats unsuspiciously. But as it was, every detail of her death would be scrutinised by Nara Shikaku and she had the famous Uchiha Itachi on her team. Assassination was more trouble than it was worth.

So he ordered his ANBU to keep an eye on her 24/7. He had Yashamaru order Gaara to never meet the girl again. But for the first time in his life, Gaara had defied Yashamaru to meet Michiko again to _learn how to control his chakra._

And somehow, the girl's methods were effective. The council had been starting to complain about Gaara being a failed weapon, that he was a danger to the village. They were right. There had been no deaths, but it was merely a matter of time before the seals failed. But if Gaara could learn control, then Rasa wouldn't have to assassinate his son.

So he had ordered them to keep an eye on her methods. Once he learned her secrets, he could get rid of her non-lethally, Gaara would be better and both problems would be solved. However, his ANBU reported that nothing she did was anything he hadn't already tried. Except for one thing: before teaching him control, she plastered the room with seals. If there was one thing Rasa desperately needed to solve the problem, it was good fuuinjutsu.

Thus, Rasa was at a crossroads. He could refuse her, take care of a potential security breach and eventually have to assassinate his son. Or he could accept her help, introducing his unstable jinchuuriki son to a foreign fuuinjutsu specialist with personal agendas, potentially turn Suna's greatest threat into its greatest weapon and perhaps have a chance of solving this without bloodshed.

The council were split on the matter. Many insisted that it was too risky, that they had already taken too many risks with Gaara and they should just kill him and be done with it. But others saw potential. The village was going to be doomed and the second option increased their chances of survival. Konoha was an allied country and hosted the best fuuinjutsu specialists. The risks were worth the rewards.

With the council split, the decision fell onto his shoulders. Gaara had always been a burden to Rasa. He was unstable, prone to bouts of insanity and his sand responded by lashing out at everything. He had ordered Temari and Kankurou to stay away after Kankurou nearly died. Yashamaru had been assigned as caretaker not just because he cared for Gaara and stabilised him, but because he was an ANBU and could handle the job.

But Karura had given her life for him, had loved him and cared for him despite only meeting him for a scant few minutes. And this was how he had honoured her sacrifice, by isolating Gaara and trying to put him down.

To Rasa, the choice wasn't about risk and reward. It was about duty.

"Contact Nara Michiko. I would like to meet her."


	16. Image Crafting

As Head of the Puppet Brigade, Katashi was also the best fuuinjutsu user in Suna, though even he wouldn't profess to be an expert. He had protested when the council wanted to layer seals over the jinchuuriki, but the council had been insistent. So when he had heard rumours of a Konoha kunoichi hanging around the jinchuuriki and being called to the Kazekage tower, he had dismissed them. For them to suddenly change their minds and let a foreigner handle the jinchuuriki was very surprising, to say the least.

Apparently, the Kazekage had a sudden change of heart and had spent the last week convincing the council. He had appointed Katashi to supervise the foreign specialist from Konoha, Nara Michiko, and Katashi was to report back regularly on her progress and ANBU would be watching her 24/7. The jinchuuriki was very fragile and Katashi was to put everything she did under a microscope.

He had been given a profile of her and a list of the equipment and areas she was allowed access to. She had started specialising when she was eight, was certified by the Hokage himself and received copious amounts of funding. Her personality profile was what Katashi personally described as 'Typical Konoha Headcase - Level Tokujou. She was described as pushy, stubborn and no-nonsense, yet cool-headed, patient and intelligent. She seemed like a nightmarish mishmash of the typical Konoha Medic and the typical Nara, both of which were generally quite skilled yet incredibly very hard to work with, but it made enough sense for Katashi to buy into it. She was also well-known in Konoha for being a mad scientist of sorts and was probably one of those bizarrely brilliant headcases that came out of Konoha. Overall, her profile was a little offbeat, but not unheard of.

Still, despite the warning, Katashi had been surprised when he went to pick up the specialist and she looked like a street rat. In her profile picture, she had had the same bored Nara-ish expression, but she'd been _a lot_ more cleaned up. It was only midday and she was absolutely filthy. She didn't seem too concerned with making a good impression with him. Was it just her personality or was she snubbing him?

"I am Katashi, Head of the Puppet Brigade and Jounin of Sunagakure. I will be supervising you."

"Nara Michiko. Genin of Konohagakure and Fuuinjutsu Specialist."

Katashi held his hand out and they shook hands.

"Let us head to the R&D building. We can talk as we walk."

Katashi led Michiko out of her lodging. The R&D building with fuuinjutsu equipment was quite far from the tower and residences in case of accidents. And accidents happened a lot when it came to fuuinjutsu. The building had to be rebuilt six times just within the Yondaime's reign.

"I will arrange a working area for you in our R&D area. It's near the archives. There will be a team of ANBU at your service. You can use them to fetch all necessary documents. Should you need anything specific, feel free to ask me." This way, the girl wouldn't have any reason to 'accidentally' stumble across important documents and the ANBU could track her easily. She also couldn't claim ignorance of the ANBU's presence and sneak off.

Michiko nodded. "I will be attending the chuunin examinations in a few days, but that should not be an issue. I would also like my personal assistant at hand."

Katashi raised an eyebrow. "You have an assistant?"

"Yes. He knows little of fuuinjutsu and will not have access to any confidential information."

"If that's the case, why would you need an assistant?"

"To take care of menial tasks that get in the way. He helps streamline the process."

It was not unusual for high-ranking specialists to have PAs that followed them, but for a genin? Then again, she had clearance for S-rank tasks such as this. Her profile did suggest that she hated wasting time. Appearances could be deceiving and never more so than with these Konoha headcases. Katashi would hold his opinion of her capabilities until he saw her work.

"I see. If that's the case, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Good. I've already asked Gaara to fetch Akio." She moved fast and had presumed that he would accept her request. Though there was no particular reason for him not to, it was still an over-confident move.

"You've made contact with the jinchuuriki."

"Yes."

"How do you feel about his situation?"

"With Suna's info, I am confident remove most hindering seals. I'll need to see the chakra map for anything further than that." A rather bold claim. She must have scanned the jinchuuriki multiple times and probably had experience clearing up fuuinjutsu.

"What do you think you will need?

"I have most of the necessary equipment in Konoha. I will see what you have and have the necessary tools brought over if needs be. I may need a skilled chakra surgeon from Konoha if you don't have one. Many of the seals are tangled and meddle with the mind too much for comfort. I have basic iryoninjutsu skills, but I'm not cleared for surgery."

"Most of our surgeons deal with physical injuries and our chakra surgeons are mainly poison specialists. You wouldn't find many neurosurgeons in Suna." And since she was from Konoha and grew up with their luxurious medical facilities, she probably won't find a surgeon here that fitted her criteria.

"I should be able to give him sufficient control with my skills, but if the council wants Gaara to have the control that Lightning Country's jinchuuriki have, I will not only have to remove most of the seals but also coach him."

"So you've been teaching the jinchuuriki chakra control?" That was the part of the rumour Katashi had been most skeptical about. It was notoriously difficult for jinchuuriki to achieve any sort of control and Gaara was an extreme case.

"Very little, mainly through interfering with his seals indirectly, but I've taught him how to fly."

"How to fly?" Ninja with aviation skills were rare and very valuable. Since Suna was most open to air attacks, it was one of the first aptitudes Wind Release Specialists were tested for.

"Yes." Michiko pointed to her right. Katashi squinted and in the distance, he could see someone coming towards them in midair.

"I see. The seals must be doing quite some damage then."

Michiko snorted. "That's a nice way of putting it. He will be a certifiable genius in chakra control once I'm through with him."

"You're confident."

"I prefer realistic. My skills aren't phenomenal. The seals are just that bad."

"You don't seem to have a very high opinion of Suna."

"I haven't seen much of it, but I can tell its fuuinjutsu department leaves something to be desired. I suspect its medical department is something of that standard."

"A nice way to put it indeed, but Suna's medical department is not so undesirable. We've had exchange programs with Konoha and Tsunade-hime aside, you will not find better poison specialists anywhere else."

"I suppose, but unfortunately, that is not what Gaara needs."

Michiko landed on a roof and didn't move, forcing Katashi to backtrack. She turned to her right and waited for a while.

"Kaa-chan!" Kaa-chan? She sure wormed her way in fast, didn't she?

"Gaara. Akio. Katashi-san, this is my PA, Kouru Akio. Akio, this is my supervisor, Katashi-san." He had never heard of the name 'Kouru' so he was probably civilian-born. Then again, Konoha was famous for their hundreds of clans, both ninja and civilian, as well as their time consuming and unnecessarily convoluted clan politics. New ones popped up and died off all the time and Katashi had better things to do than memorise every last one of them.

Akio frowned. "So you're really going to do this?"

"Yes."

Akio sighed. "I suppose I can't really stop you. Just promise to get at least six hours of sleep a day and shower at least once every two days."

"Four hours of sleep and a shower a week." A shower a week in Suna? It was January, but it was still around 35 degrees. Around this time, Suna natives bathed less to save water, but Katashi would've thought that someone who grew up in the comfort of a Konoha clan wouldn't have such restrictions.

"But you'll feel horrible! Besides, it's going to be a really brainy challenge, right? You'll need sleep!"

Michiko frowned. "Fine. I still don't see why I have to bathe so often."

Akio looked surprised. "Oh. Great! Well, you need to make a good impression and stuff, right?"

"Not a good enough reason to reduce output by so much."

The profile had stated 'values efficiency above all else', but Katashi hadn't thought it was this extreme. Katashi wasn't sure whether it was a good sign. Konoha eccentrics were unusually strong and highly capable, but unmanageable and at times even insubordinate. Konoha blatantly treated their ninja in drastically different ways based on rank, bloodline and status, something Katashi found distasteful. Suna, on the other hand, had done away with clans in the Nidaime's reign and everyone was punished for misconduct regardless of rank, age or blood though there were exceptions from time to time. Treating different and unequal situations equally was just stupid and idealistic, something Konoha specialised in, but luckily, this specialist seemed to have more common sense than the average Konoha ninja. Her profile did go into some depth about her relatively poor background, so perhaps her efficient, resource-saving outlook was a result of that.

"It would be bad if you got sand all over your fuuinjutsu?"

"I wouldn't be creating that sort of fuuinjutsu."

"Erm, well, it's impolite to stink up the whole room?"

"They are ninja. They can deal with a little smell if it produces more results."

Gaara tugged at Michiko shirt. "Don't worry, Kaa-chan. I have water at home if you don't have any. You can use mine!"

Michiko smiled at Gaara. "That's not the problem here. I have water."

"Then why don't you want to bathe?"

"Because I'm very busy and bathing takes time."

"But it's only five minutes!"

Akio nodded rapidly. "Exactly! What can you do in five minutes?"

"Water is a valuable resource in Suna."

"But you're just one person! You're not going to drain Suna's water resources just by taking a few more showers!"

"That's the sort of thought process that creates world shortages. 'Just one more' is a dangerous mentality to have."

Katashi cleared his throat. "I don't think it'll be a problem. Such expenses will be covered by your government, I believe. However, I would really like to get started with work."

Michiko sighed. "Fine. I'll take a shower every three days. Now let's move on. I'll need you both for work so you're coming along. You can leave when we've finished looking around and have come up with a game plan."

"No." They both replied in unison.

Michiko raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I want to see Kaa-chan at work!"

"'Cause I can already tell you'll get super crabby and you need someone to make you coffee or you'll explode and no one's going to be happy when that happens. Itachi's on standby in case you need a spar."

Katashi raised an eyebrow at the information. "You have a nice little system going on there, don't you?"

Michiko shrugged. "It's handy to have a coffee mule and a punching bag. Why else would I keep such troublesome boys around?"

"Hey!"

Michiko ignored Akio and turned to Gaara. "You can stay if you keep out of the way. Fuuinjutsu can be very dangerous."

"Okay!"

"Good. Shall we move on?" Katashi supposed it wouldn't hurt to have the jinchuuriki be privy to what was on his body. He was five, anyway. He wouldn't understand anything.

The four of them made their way over to the R&D building without any further delay. It was slightly rundown, but that didn't hinder its functions. Michiko didn't seem like a girl occupied with comforts.

"This is the room used for any major sealings." Michiko scanned the room.

"Too many seals on security, not enough on accuracy. The equipment is subpar and outdated. The room is very large, but can barely fit all the necessary seals, leaving no place for fine tuning. That's because the seals take up too much space and use complex designs when they aren't needed." Was this just to show off or was this her actual opinion? Probably both.

"How can you tell?"

"Security seals should be on the walls, but these ones are so big they spill onto the floor. Only a small circle in the middle is dedicated to seals that actually facilitate the sealing. The room is covered in designs, but you can see large empty spaces and twisting designs in the outer matrixes, which usually only require simple lines. It is too obvious. How old are these designs?"

"We've been using them since the end of the Shodaime's reign." Michiko wasn't pleased to hear that and neither was Katashi. Fuuinjutsu evolved rapidly and Katashi knew that something this old was likely obsolete. If Michiko was really as bothered by inefficiency as her profile and actions suggested, then perhaps she would eventually get irritated enough to redo the whole room for them at a discounted price or for free.

"It's good for something from that era, I guess. Is this the best you have?"

"I am considered the best at fuuinjutsu in Suna. I can't understand half of these designs." Katashi admitted.

Michiko's left eye spasmed violently. Behind Katashi, Akio gulped. "Aren't you Head of the Puppet Brigade?"

"We don't have a barrier team or an organisation specialising in fuuinjutsu. Most of our fuuinjutsu-related R&D is done by the Puppet Brigade so the Puppet Brigade tends to double as the sealing authority."

Michiko sighed in frustration. "I see. Show me your working area."

The working area was a sterile rectangular room with good lighting and lots of space. The far side of the room was mostly empty for large fuuinjutsu. Cabinets and drawers lined the left side and two long tables stretched down the middle with fourteen chairs tucked under them. There was some fairly large ink drying cabinets, both chakra and electric-based and a few filing cabinets for the paper. Near the emergency door on the far end was a circle table with four wooden chairs. Right next to it was a sink, a mini fridge and a counter. Above the counter was a window wide enough for easy passage.

"Everything is labelled. You should have no trouble finding what you need."

Michiko opened a drawer that held some of the basic equipment and examined its contents. She felt the brushes and opened an ink bottle, dipped the brush inside, did some sort of chakra test and swiped it across her hand. She was obviously displeased at what she saw even though it looked perfectly fine to Katashi.

"Suna ink is too unrefined and chakra resistant. Good for puppets, horrendous on jinchuuriki and anything alive for that matter. The brushes generally acceptable for most types of seals, but they are still too imprecise for mind seals." Michiko recapped the bottle and placed it back in the drawer. She handed Akio the brush and he brought it to the sink and started washing it. So that was what she meant by menial tasks.

Michiko opened the drawer beneath it and sighed. This time, it sounded more resigned than frustrated.

"I'll check all the equipment to see if there's anything good." Her tone told him exactly how likely she thought that was. "With the equipment I currently have, I'll be able to cover the basics, at the very least. Can you fetch me the map of Gaara's seals?"

Katashi nodded. An ANBU appeared at the doorway and held out five scrolls of varying sizes, the biggest being as tall as the ANBU himself. Michiko took the arm length purple scroll from the ANBU.

"Place the largest on the far end where I can unroll it easily. Place the rest in the scroll shelf along my eye level." The ANBU silently did as he was told. Katashi was slightly surprised by the way she ordered the ANBU, even though he told her they were at her disposal. Most chuunin were still discomforted by ANBU, but this 13-year-old Konoha genin didn't interact with them any differently. There were a number of reasons for this, but Katashi figured that she was the type of ninja who wasn't easily fazed. Most Nara were like that, analysing the situation with a detached mindset.

Michiko set the scroll on the workbench and swiftly unrolled it. She scanned it for all of 47 seconds before sighing again.

"Katashi-san, do you know what an Alternate Inner Chakra Sync is?"

Was she testing him? "It's where you align two different chakra together by placing them on opposite sides of a layer of matrixes which slowly tweak them until they are compatible."

"No. That's just a normal Chakra Sync. It's also meant for non-living objects only. Katashi-san, were you the one who placed the seals on Gaara?"

Katashi frowned. He had never heard of an 'Alternate Inner Chakra Sync' before. Was it some Konoha technique? "I was the one who designed most of the original seals, but most were taken from books."

"Outside of Gaara's project, how often do you apply seals without the use of a medium?"

"Not at all."

"Do you use any other medium other than ink?"

"No."

Michiko was unsurprised, but definitely not pleased. "I see. Can you give me a list of the books you used?"

"Of course."

Michiko then spoke to the air, addressing the ANBU.

"I want every single book commonly used in Suna for fuuinjutsu studies, every book authored by someone from Suna about fuuinjutsu and every book Katashi-san and the other sealers used as a reference when placing seals on Gaara. Place them in three labelled stacks over there." Michiko pointed at the table top counters by the door. "If three stacks aren't enough, label those as well. Label anything that doesn't fit as 'others' and give me the specifics. If anyone of you has fundamental knowledge on fuuinjutsu, drop a kunai."

Nothing happened.

Michiko seemed to expect this and turned to Gaara. "Gaara, you can sit in the corner."

"Okay!"

"Akio, you're in charge of the sink and fridge and you can use the counter next to it to do anything." She took out an ink stick from the drawer she just opened, the finest oil soot ink Suna had available and handed it to Akio along with a matching grinding stone. "Grind up enough for a testing sample after you've finished everything."

Akio took the ink stick and grinding stone and placed them onto the counter. "Do you want your coffee now?"

"Yes, but transfer all my fuuinjutsu equipment in here first."

Gaara walked over to the chair and sat down while Akio left the room. Michiko walked over to the scroll shelf, opened the bottom cabinet and grabbed a blank scroll. She took out a normal writing brush and writing ink from the drawers, pulled out a chair from the work table and began writing. Katashi took a seat in the corner by Gaara. From her brush movements, Katashi could read everything she was writing and she seemed to be drafting a letter asking for the transfer of her equipment, many of which Katashi hadn't heard of before.

She was done by the time Akio came back with the first pile of scrolls, ink and brushes.

"Akio, after you're done with the coffee, send this scroll off to Konoha. Katashi-san, is there a place for training around here?"

"The area around here is barren from past accidents. He should have no trouble finding an empty area, but there wouldn't be any training equipment."

"Good. You can train around here if you have nothing to do, but I want you within hearing distance."

Akio nodded. "Roger." He immediately exited the room afterwards to carry back the second load.

Michiko spent the next 6 hours pouring over every inch of the scrolls and taking piles of notes. She was thorough and dedicated and the way she wielded her brush suggested experience and skill. She made no effort to conceal her brush movements and she didn't need to. Katashi lost her train of thought within the first 3 minutes and when he managed to pick it up, he lost it within the minute even with the help of her incessant muttering. He could scarcely understand half the jargon she was spouting, much less decipher her seals even though they were being created right in front of him.

Katashi had thought that the workroom was quite spacious, but that was apparently it was not enough. Michiko had lots of 'useless' equipment moved out of the working area by the ANBU and Katashi had to authorise an extra room to be used just for storage. Michiko warned him that she may need another room or two with her extra equipment along the way. Katashi had asked why she needed so much. Fuuinjutsu equipment was just a bunch of ink, brushes, paper and maybe a calculator and a dictionary, right? But Michiko had given him such a look of despair that Katashi didn't dare to ask again. It wouldn't do to have their foreign specialist tear her hair out on day one.

Akio had slowly moved what must've been half their lodging over and managed to squeeze most of them away into empty drawers. He had to re-sort the books the ANBU had brought in into even more specific piles and handed Michiko the ones she needed currently. He handed her a cup of coffee whenever her agitation level rose too high and sorted through all the equipment in the room.

For someone who was supposed to be ignorant of fuuinjutsu, Akio knew quite a lot about the equipment needed and knew enough terminology to know what Michiko was referring to. He asked very few questions and could tell apart fuuinjutsu paper within a fifth of a grade. Akio had quite an attitude and Katashi was surprised that he did all the manual labour without a complaint. But Katashi supposed that that was just the standard one got to when working under Michiko. She seemed like a very demanding person who accepted no incompetence and expected your best.

Throughout all of this, the jinchuuriki was quite quiet. When he got restless, Michiko successfully removed three seals of him and asked him to practice with sand outside. She removed the three seals within 13 minutes without touching anything else, quite a feat considering there were 147 seals, now 144, plastered onto him and every single one overlapped onto something else. Still, 13 minutes was longer than what Katashi would've expected from someone good enough to be tasked with something of this importance.

Finally, Michiko looked up from the huge scroll on the floor and put down her brush.

"Do you want the good news first or the bad news?"

"The good news."

"Most of the damage done is reversible since many have only been around for a year or two and aren't powerful enough to affect much. He shouldn't suffer any lasting nerve damage from all the chakra control and mind control seals on him, though he will require intensive care for a few years and I'd like a second opinion from a chakra neurosurgeon and chakra mind specialist. Most of the seals were applied from the exterior. With my chakra control, I can tease them apart and peel pretty much all of that away." She had merely mentioned damage control, but nothing of the improvements she would make.

"What about improvements?"

Michiko snorted. "The deal was that I would fix the damage and just advise on improvements. And before I even think about improvement seals, I'd need to undo the work you did and it's going to take a long time. Of the 107 exterior seals, 70 or so are mostly harmless, but they're such an overlapping mess that they become a barrier to the actually harmful seals further in. That barrier also prevents me from adding new seals as it's really finicky. Disabling the barrier would be like disabling a bomb. Cut off the wrong bit and everything explodes in your face. Gaara's main problem isn't the seals, it's having explosive chakra bombs living inside his jugular."

"How long will it take you?"

"With the chuunin exams, the exterior seals should take three months."

Katashi raised an eyebrow. "That's a long time."

"I don't think you understand the severity of the situation."

"It can't be that bad. All the seals were certified and most came from books written by scholars."

Michiko rolled her eyes. "Puppet masters are bad at chakra sensing, right?"

"In general. What does that have to do with this?"

Michiko walked to the window. "Gaara! Come here!"

13 seconds later, Gaara appeared and hovered outside the window. "Kaa-chan! What is it?"

"Katashi-san, give me your hand."

"What for?"

"I'm a chakra sensor and can use medical chakra. Since you don't seem to understand, I'll show you what I mean."

Katashi scrutinised her. She was suggesting she hijack his chakra system just so he could get a clearer picture. But ANBU were in the room and anything she did could jeopardise Suna-Konoha relations.

Katashi walked over to her and gave her his hand. Michiko grasped Gaara's hand in her left and Katashi's in her right.

"Kaa-chan, what are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just showing Katashi-san his handiwork."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain later. Hold still."

Michiko slowly slipped some of her chakra into his system and connected her chakra to Gaara's. Katashi was a little nervous about his chakra system being connected to a jinchuuriki's, even indirectly, but he-

Suddenly, his sense broadened and he could feel the chakra around him more acutely than he had ever in his life. He recognised it was dulled around the edges to prevent him from figuring out her true scope, but even dulled, her range was decent for a genin.

"Now put your other hand on Gaara."

Katashi placed his hand on Gaara's shoulder tentatively. Nothing attacked him. But then he felt _it._ It was a completely knotted mess throughout the jinchuuriki's body. Countless strands intersected each other at places where they were supposed to be separated. What looked like a smooth, slick design on paper felt like a rough tattered mess on Gaara. Many had frayed and the ends knotted together, creating an infinite mess that got worse with every breath. Many compacted seals contained over 50 layers and those were layered over other 50-layer compacted seals. Some of them were so worn down they just blended together into a huge clump of over 1000 layers. The sheer scale and complexity of the chakra structures were almost fascinating in a trainwreck-sense. It was the type of fail that was impossible to do intentionally. Katashi couldn't tell where one seal began and other ended, much less discern between layers and he was the creator and applicator of most of the seals. Katashi wasn't even sure you could call that mess chakra. It was a wonder the jinchuuriki could even live normally.

"Oh."

"Yes. 'Oh' is quite right." Michiko replied testily. She released his hand and Katashi shook his head to try and get rid of that _feeling._

"And you untangle that in just three months?"

"Yes."

"But how did it get so bad? I followed the extra guides and studied everything for months beforehand."

"The seals you create are actually not bad and I use similar seals on my furniture. But you are a puppet master and you create seals for inanimate objects. The guides you studied were not only outdated and misleading, but their focus was completely wrong. From your work, it was easy to see that you were under the impression that since there are basic rules across all seals and that fuuinjutsu is so specialised, you can just apply the same designs and techniques across the board. You could not be more wrong. Fuuinjutsu is specialised due to its complexity and has many sub-specialties. Doing what you did was like expecting a cardiologist to pull off perfect neurosurgery or an administrative ninja to do the work of a Kage just because they happen to be in the same field and do vaguely similar work. The calculations on the seals that attempt to take into account the daily wear from a living human are astoundingly inaccurate. They either erode, causing an incomplete and thus volatile matrix or they cling on so tightly they pull at his nerves and chakra. And that is just the wear and tear for the harmless ones _._ I only showed you the ones on his skin surface. Can you imagine one of those chakra clumps clogging his brain? From the blueprints, I can assure you I will find at least half a dozen clumps in there. For a situation to get this bad, you must have-"

Akio grabbed her shoulder. "Michiko-chan! Calm down!"

Michiko took a deep breath. "Three months, Akio. Three months! Do you have any _idea_ what I could do with three months?"

By now, Katashi had recovered from her sudden outburst and his disorientation. He had expected her to be far more cool-headed.

"You are young. Three months may seem like a lot, but there's no need to rush and it isn't major in the long-"

Michiko's eyes sparked with fury. "I know very well how valuable my time is and I'll be the judge of how much my own time is worth."

"Watch your mouth. I understand that the situation isn't ideal, but I am still your superior. I have been put in charge of you and can take away any of your liberties at any time."

"You may be superior to me in rank and combat ability, but this is my field and I will be making my own judgements disregarding whatever you might have to say. I understand that you weren't given a choice and I apologise for taking it out on you but do not presume to have any expertise in this area at all. You may think you have power over me, you may think you can control me. But the harder you push, the further you will fall. Any restrictions you put on me will delay the process and cause more damage."

"The Kazekage will be hearing about this."

"That is not my problem. That is yours."

"Michiko-chan!"

Michiko took another calming breath. "Regardless, what is done is done, I suppose. Gaara, come in. I'll begin working on your seals."

Gaara climbed over the window. "So I'll be able to control myself now?"

"A little bit better. It's going to be a slow process, but be patient."

Gaara nodded, determined. "Okay. I want to get better."

"Are you sure you want to proceed?" Katashi interjected. "Using medical chakra while agitated is not advised."

"I will be fine. Gaara, strip down and lie down over here."

Michiko quickly cleared out a portion of a table and Akio helped her. Gaara quickly took off his clothes and lay down in the center.

"You don't want to use the operating room? If the sealing room won't do, I can free up a room in the hospital."

"No. I will wait for my equipment before doing any major operations. I will just be clearing up debris and peeling away at the outer layers. This is mainly an operation to see how Gaara's system will react to certain procedures I will be using for more complicated operations. Gaara, I'll be putting you to sleep."

"But then the monster will come out!"

"Don't worry, it's not real sleep. You will be fine. Akio, I want rounded brush no. 4 and flat brush no. 9, both unloaded from my second set and the ink you ground up earlier. Then cut Grade 3 paper into standard square 4, the Suna ones will do. I want chakra extraction equipment B."

Akio handed her the brushes and ink. Michiko dipped the no. 9 into the ink and studied it for a while, swiping the ink across her right hand. She brushed Gaara's hair off his forehead.

"Stay very still."

She drew a perfect thick circle on his forehead and another small circle inside the circle. She drew six lines evenly spaced out, connecting the inner and outer circles. It was a rather strong mind-related seal, but didn't she say Gaara's mind was complicated and an explosive mess? Why would she mess with it even more? She even applied it directly onto his skin. She used the no. 4 to fill in the details. She seemed familiar with the seal and Katashi had never seen the design before. Maybe this was a seal she customised for the jinchuuriki.

Akio had finished gathering three trays of equipment and he stood beside her, clearing even more space to place the trays. Her hands lit with medical chakra and she placed her hands on either side of Gaara's head. After a few minutes, her chakra slowly turned blue and the seal glowed. She removed her hands and the seal continued to glow softly.

"What is the seal for?" Katashi asked.

"It'll keep him unconscious. Don't distract me during this part until I say so even if you are sure I am done." She obviously didn't trust his judgement at all. Katashi didn't view himself as incompetent in fuuinjutsu, but Michiko clearly thought otherwise. Then again, she was basing her standards off her experiences in Konoha. Katashi knew that compared to the fuuinjutsu specialists in Konoha, he looked like an amateur despite being the best in Suna.

Michiko scanned her chakra through Gaara's left arm with her left hand. "Chakra highlight."

Akio handed her a small syringe filled with a dark, misty blue liquid and she injected it into Gaara's arm. Chakra highlight was a liquid that highlighted areas in correlation to chakra saturation and was harmless. Katashi wanted to object and have the liquid analysed before it was injected into the jinchuuriki, but she had the Hokage's approval and was from an allied country. It would not do to show such distrust.

Gaara's skin slowly turned a bruised blue colour in basically every region. Katashi could tell that this was high-quality chakra highlight as it showed very fine lines of the fuuinjutsu underneath instead of a bunch of bruise-like spots. But Katashi could easily see where the chakra clumps were as they dotted Gaara's body. Just on his front, Katashi could count 32, 8 of which Katashi knew were big enough to cause problems, though Katashi didn't have much medical knowledge. One of the ANBU on the roster was an A-class medic and Michiko's profile stated that her medical abilities were below average, so Katashi assumed that he was supposed to leave medical matters to the ANBU.

Michiko's hands shifted to Gaara's right thigh, where not many seals were. Katashi could see chakra designs on that area relatively well and knew there were only 15 seals on his thigh and two small clumps.

"Paper." Akio handed Michiko the chakra paper and she placed it on the jinchuuriki's outer right thigh and sent her chakra through the paper, into his skin. She held her position for 46 seconds before removing the paper. The paper came away with a slightly misshapen soft bluish seal on it. Katashi recognised it as one of the newer seals he placed and it probably hadn't had time to get tangled up. Michiko handed the paper to Akio, who placed it carefully on an empty tray. So far, she was using the basic Paper Transfer method, just with extreme precision.

Michiko repeated this process five more times around Gaara's leg before tackling a chakra clump on his right knee. She used both her hands and maneuvered a little strangely, presumably to try and tear the seals apart.

"Chaji. Size S."

Akio handed her an instrument Katashi had never seen before. It was a spool-like metal piece that had a metal rod with a 2-cm diameter through the middle with a button on one end. She held it right over the chakra clump with her right hand and pressed the button, holding the instrument with her fingers only on either end of the metal rod. The spool component rotated and Michiko increased the amount of chakra coming from her left hand on Gaara's knee. Chakra exited from Gaara's knee slowly and attached to the 'Chaji'. Slowly, the blue spot on his knee diminished in size until it was only a pinprick. She handed the 'Chaji' to Akio who placed it in a small seal covered box. She then used the Paper Transfer method to remove the rest and a few surrounding seals.

Michiko repeated this process three more times before she finally deactivated the seal on Gaara's head. The whole process had taken one and a half hours.

"I'm done with Gaara for the day. You may now ask your questions."

"What was the instrument you used?"

"The Chakra Magnetic Extractor _(_ _Cha_ _kura_ _Ji_ _kibun)_. It's a tool that's gaining popularity amongst Konoha's medical department and extracts chakra quickly using an attractive force, the feel of which is akin to the feel of a magnetic pull. It was invented by Autumn Artisan two years ago."

That would explain why he hadn't heard of it. Autumn Artisan regularly pushed out high grade, original equipment, from convenient ink-filled writing tools called 'pen' to weird automatic projectile throwers for civilians known as 'gan'. But they were very expensive and Suna's medical department had a dismal budget.

"How about the seal you used?"

"Just something that gives him intense daydreams. A little bit like genjutsu."

"How safe is it?"

"As safe as anything gets." Katashi wanted to prod further, but Michiko was under no obligation to share any details. She was required to report on her progress, plans and estimations, but little more.

"How many seals did you remove?

"11. They were all easy ones. I cleaned up the easy knots before they can become more tangled up, but the operation was merely on preventing in from worsening. There should be no visible difference in his control."

"When will you be operating again?"

"In a week or so. I can probably halve the time, but I want to monitor his mental health and the effects my treatment has on him. That operation will probably remove around 20 exterior seals and maybe a couple of knots."

"You are progressing slowly."

"Caution is best practised in such delicate situations. I plan to remove 40 or so exterior seals in the third operation and half the surface chakra knots."

"That would be quite an intense operation. How far off would that be?"

"I would say two or three weeks, but with the chuunin exams, I'll push that back to a month. Something big like that would require a lot of planning and mapping."

"Why not space them out?"

By now, Michiko was starting to look a little irritated at his questioning. The jinchuuriki was still out and she turned him over. There was a huge molten blue spot covering the whole of his lower back.

"Because of that. I need to clear everything out in one go or it'll just come back again. It's almost like the chakra equivalent of a tumour. Right now, I don't even know exactly how many are bunched up together or how eroded it is and I'm not touching that until I have it figured out. It's benign right now and probably won't explode in my face if I get it a little off, but if I don't get all of it or disrupt the wrong part, that could change very fast."

"Very well. What will you be doing until your equipment arrives?"

"I can do rough mapping without my equipment, but modelling the knots will be tough."

"How about the seals inside of him?"

"No use planning too much now. I can't get a clear look at it with all the messy chakra clogging up. I will cover everything in my report."

The jinchuuriki started stirring. Michiko sent some chakra to his brain.

"Aren't you going to remove your seal?"

"There is no point in removing it now when I'm just going to reapply it later. It has extra diagnostic and soothing abilities."

"We will make sure to monitor that jinchuuriki for any changes."

Michiko raised an eyebrow. "It would be best if I personally monitor him."

She really wanted complete control over jinchuuriki. Katashi was unsure if this was personal interest and if it was, whether it was malicious or not. Michiko was clearly very passionate about her work and was determined to see this project through. Many Konoha specialists Katashi had met took great pride in their work and field of expertise. Given that she had caught the Hokage's eye, she was likely ambitious. Her interest in the jinchuuriki could be a result of pride or a desire for accomplishment.

It could also be from being used to being in control or a need for control. Like many successful Konoha kunoichi, Michiko had a very dominant and unrelenting personality. As traditional gender roles were stronger in Konoha than almost anywhere else, only kunoichi with strong characters and aggressive personalities were taken note of. Perhaps being controlling was her way of surviving in Konoha just as being irreplaceable was the way to survive in Suna.

That being said, Michiko was a largely unknown factor. Despite having two weeks, ANBU were still putting together her profile. It had been caution at first, but as they dug deeper, more and more information just kept coming. She was an unknown even in Konoha. Since her value and full capabilities weren't known, she couldn't be trusted fully.

They didn't have a choice in this situation as the jinchuuriki was already attached to her. Removing her could cause instability and Suna couldn't afford that with hundreds of foreign ninja within their borders. The only thing they could do was put her under 24/7 watch as she was right when she said restricting her was unbeneficial to all parties. Suna wanted her in and out as fast as possible to reduce the risk. But Michiko had taken the effort to determine whether the ANBU had fuuinjutsu knowledge or not and she would be right to assume that they knew next to nothing. Most ninja knew how to use fuuinjutsu, but deciphering and creating it was an entirely different ballpark. 24/7 watch or not, Michiko could be trying to steal the bijuu right under their noses and the ANBU wouldn't notice a thing. Katashi was supervisor mainly to make sure that didn't happen, but he knew she could fool him if she tried and he knew she knew that.

"I will inform the Kazekage."

"Gaara should wake up in half an hour max. Don't touch anything in this room, please. There is enough chakra contamination as it is. Where is your safety disposal area?"

Konoha had safety disposal areas for fuuinjutsu? What for? "We don't have one."

Michiko blinked. "What."

"We don't have a safety disposal area."

"How can you not have a safety disposal area? You do sealing on jinchuuriki regularly. The Puppet Brigade does regular experiments. Where do you put all the waste?" There was a tinge of incredulousness lining her voice. Katashi got the feeling that whatever was making her feel that way was not good for Suna.

"We just dump it."

Michiko's pitch started climbing higher. "You just dump it? How could you? What happens to the volatile and toxic ones? How do you deal with erosion?"

What did erosion have to do with anything? Katashi wasn't obligated to tell her any of this, but he was getting a very, very bad feeling. "We place counter seals over them."

"And?"

"Most of the time, we disable the power components."

"And?"

"We dump them in the landfill."

Michiko looked uneasy. Even Akio stared at him. "May I inspect the landfill?"

"For what purpose?"

"I find your disposal methods to be a cause for concern."

"We've been doing it this way for a hundred years with no problems."

Michiko sighed. "Akio, pen a letter to the Hokage. I need a mini safety disposal area transferred over. Around 6 tatami mats should be enough." Akio huffed and walked over to the scroll shelve.

Katashi frowned. "You do not trust Suna's capabilities."

Michiko's tone was deadpan and dry. "You don't exactly inspire trust."

"Why should we trust your capabilities?"

"What is your alternative? I personally don't see the need for trust. While useful, respect and open-mindedness are far more valued traits in situations such as these. Our distrust is mutual. Let us put that on the table and carry on with the mission." Katashi was wary of Michiko. It was common sense to be wary around finicky ninja, especially stubborn kunoichi, particularly Konoha headcases. But the mission was top priority. While Katashi personally disagreed with the Kazekage's decision, orders were orders.

"Very well."

Michiko nodded. "Good. Akio, after you are done with the letter, you can go train if you want. We can leave most of the equipment as is." Michiko started packing some items, mostly the ink and chaji.

Akio looked a little surprised. "Oh. Okay. I think I'll go train for a while then."

"If you are done for the day, then I'll head home. When are you coming in tomorrow?"

"Around 5 am. I'll be taking a break along the way, but I'll end at around 7 pm." Dedicated, but very tiresome. Katashi wasn't keen on working 14 hours a day, but Akio seemed unbothered, so he guessed that these were usual working hours for her. Katashi had thought that Konoha ninja were rather laidback. Then again, she did seem to be a bit of an outlier.

"I shall pick you up from your lodging at 5 am sharp. When will you be needing the jinchuuriki?"

"It would be handy to have him at hand, but I suppose in around five days. It's hard to say."

"I will inform the Kazekage."

"Then we're settled for now. Can I have the key to this facility?"

"I will ask the Kazekage."

"That's a 'no' I'm hearing." Michiko gave him an exasperated look that told Katashi how stupid she thought the situation was. The truth was that Katashi had not been given very specific orders or much authorisation. The whole case was rushed and far too messy for his liking. The council members were still split and deciding their stance on the situation.

"You must understand that this is a difficult decision on our side."

"I know. I'll be heading back now." Nara Michiko exited the room, leaving Kouru Akio behind.

"I didn't think your friend had such a temper."

Akio shrugged as he rolled the scroll up. "She doesn't really. She's actually one of the rare calm ones back in Konoha. She just gets really frustrated by incompetence."

"Doesn't have a high opinion of me, does she?"

"Not your fuuinjutsu skills, no. But she rather likes you. She even bothered to chew you out and show you just how bad things are. If she hated you, she would just play around with you and let you stew in your ignorance."

She thought she could lecture him? He might not be a fuuinjutsu master, but he was still the Head of the Puppet Brigade and a jounin. She may be better at him in fuuinjutsu, but she was only a 13-year-old genin with the Hokage's favour. Nara Michiko seemed like a girl who was more than a little full of herself and expected everyone to bend around her. What was Konoha teaching nowadays? In Suna, that sort of attitude would never fly.

"Konoha has always been a little too free."

Akio snorted. "Oh, I don't think being born in Suna would change a thing. Michiko-chan's just stubborn like that. Being in a free place just means she doesn't have to destroy as many people to get out of the cage."

"Konoha is a very vibrant and colourful place." Almost too colourful. There was no way something so bright could be successful without a plethora of dirty secrets. Konoha relied too much on ANBU. There wasn't any uniformity and the ninja were given too much freedom. They lacked discipline and Konoha's punishments were so inconsistent as to be negligible at times. In Suna, everyone knew that the mission came first and everyone knew the village mattered above all else.

"Just the type of place for Michiko-chan." What was he saying? Was Michiko part of ANBU? That would make a lot of sense. While Konoha had the highest academy graduation age, it was suspected to have the highest amount of child ANBU to compensate. It would explain why the Hokage trusted her despite her age. But that also suggested that this was an attempt by Konoha to control their jinchuuriki.

"You know her quite well."

"I guess. We've been together for three years now." Three years? Wouldn't that mean Michiko would've been ten?

"You're in a relationship?"

Akio flushed. "What? No! I meant like, we're on the same team! We're not like that or anything! Besides, Michiko-chan doesn't like that sort of thing!" That basically confirmed Katashi's suspicions that Akio had feelings for her, unreciprocated by the looks of it. That would explain why he was willing to do menial tasks for her and that would mean that she was aware of his crush and took advantage of it.

"How unusual. Konoha girls her age are known to be obsessed with romance."

"Well, Michiko-chan's not like the other girls. She's a lot better than all of them." Akio seemed to hold Michiko in very high esteem and thought of her as a special snowflake of sorts. Was this a crafted image or a natural result of his crush?

"She seems different on the surface, but she is fundamentally still a Konoha girl."

Akio scented a possible attack and immediately went on defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Those that aren't obsessed with romance are split into the weak and those who want power. A very small portion of those who want power are the powerful and they are often overbearing and aggressive."

Akio glared. "You're wrong. Michiko-chan isn't like that."

"Then what is she like?"

"She's smarter than anyone I've ever met and she uses that to help people. Even if she's not that strong, she can win against jounin and she beats Itachi all the time." That essentially told him nothing he couldn't confirm. Either Michiko had trained him to give information without giving information or withheld any important information from him. Maybe it was both, but Katashi wagered it was the latter.

"There are many kunoichi with her personality. The only thing that separates her from them is her unique skill. If there were more fuuinjutsu specialists, she wouldn't be very valuable."

"Are you trying to start a fight! I told you, Michiko-chan is special!" Thick though he may be, Akio was catching onto his game. It was time to end this before he got into a dispute with a foreign ninja.

"I am not trying to change your opinion. As your superior, I am allowed to state my opinion. There is no need to get riled up."

"Well, you're wrong! You're just like that bastard, always hiding behind your rank and status!" A disgusting disrespect towards authority and a blatant lack of situational awareness. What was Konoha teaching nowadays? Their generous funding from the Daimyo did not excuse such low standards in accepting ninja.

"I see you cannot be reasoned with. No matter. My job here today is done and I shall take my leave." Katashi technically wasn't supposed to leave anyone alone in the research facility, but there would be ANBU watching over all of Konoha's Team 11. Katashi didn't want any complications on day one.

"Fine then, walk away. You guys always do that. But you're wrong and that's all that matters."

Katashi left without another word and mentally compiled the report he was going to write. The ANBU were gathering every scrap of data of Michiko and her team. Akio would be fairly basic, the Uchiha heir was a delicate situation, but this Nara Michiko was surprisingly enigmatic, supporting his theory of her being ANBU. After the Uchiha stunt, she was quite infamous, but her history was remarkably unremarkable for someone of her personality and skill. Generally, kunoichi like her wanted the fame and while her recent fuuinjutsu 'accidents' could be for attention, she was a completely unknown genin before her debut, meaning she had a reason for lying low. The information they currently had on her were insufficient in drawing conclusions, but Katashi would be surprised if Michiko didn't have past dealings with Konoha's underground operations.

Overall, Nara Michiko was nothing he hadn't seen before. For a project with a Konoha headcase, this case should be fairly straightforward.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Japan uses degrees celsius and the metric system so this story will be using it as well. 35 degrees celsius is 95 degrees fahrenheit.

F = (C x 9/5) + 32


	17. A Typical Ninja Exam

The Kazekage's office was fairly unremarkable if one disregarded the stacks of gold dust piled in the corners and the overwhelming amount of papers. Rasa personally disliked the chuunin exams, but Suna desperately needed to extra income from the tourists and gambling. There were many more security measures in place but someone would always try to slip through the cracks. Right now, Rasa needed to determine if Nara Michiko was one of those people.

"What is your assessment of the Konoha fuuinjutsu specialist?"

"She takes her job very seriously and seems uninterested in anything unrelated to work. But she is resistant to authority and does not hold a high opinion of me after seeing my fuuinjutsu work. She likely doesn't have a high opinion of Suna either and takes a special interest in the jinchuuriki specifically. I am unsure whether this is a professional or personal interest. It irks her greatly to deal with 'incompetence'. She lets her emotions and strong opinions interfere with her professionalism, but ultimately, she seems to be capable of completing the task at hand. Despite her mild abrasiveness and general uncooperativeness, I believe that coupled with a little talent, her manic dedication and resourceful outlook is what makes her successful."

Rasa frowned. Katashi's report matched the profile they had gathered, but Rasa had never liked ninja like Nara Michiko. "An unpredictable variable."

"Very much so, I'm afraid. But Konoha's most loyal and powerful are similar. She is valued despite her adamant nature and her abilities speak for themselves. However, I suspect that she may be ANBU."

"A fuuinjutsu specialist as an ANBU?" Fuuinjutsu masters were just like their craft, unpredictable, individualistic and touchy. Not ANBU material. In Rasa's opinion, those made for the worst and best types of ninja. Rasa didn't know what Konoha was thinking, but such ninja were unreliable and caused more trouble than they were worth even if they were usually powerful.

"It is possible. It would explain many things. She displays indifference to the ANBU and falls into a leadership role too instinctively for a genin. She has an unnatural amount of confidence, knowledge and skill for her age as well as unconditional trust from her peers. Her unreasonable work ethic, chronic chakra drain and domineering attitude are all typical signs being used to shuffling from mission to mission." Katashi's theory would explain many of their holes in the specialist's profile and her unusual traits, but Rasa still wasn't sure whether she was really ANBU or just another weird exception and/or Konoha loophole.

"Your theory has merit but there are too many uncertainties with the situation. The profile from ANBU would likely be insufficient. She may be able to remove the seals, but merely advising on improvements isn't enough if our village doesn't have the resources to act on the advice. The jinchuuriki's attachment to her is worrisome and she has too much control over the situation. In the worst case scenario, we must be prepared to give her an offer she cannot refuse. Suna will greatly benefit from having a fuuinjutsu specialist at hand. Katashi, you are to continue your observation of the foreign specialist and develop as comprehensive a personality report as you can. Play along with her and find what she values most."

Katashi nodded and straightened. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"How was it, Michiko-hime?" The first thing Itachi noticed as he entered the room was Michiko hunched over a desk with a slew of papers and ink all over. She looked up at his enquiry and turned her chair to face him, twirling a brush in one hand. Her shoulder line was tense and she was visibly irritated. There could be no clearer signs of danger.

Michiko sighed. "Horrible. At this rate, Suna's going to collapse in the next decade or so." Itachi was rather surprised. Why was she saying this out loud with the Suna ANBU on her tail?

"From my analysis of the Suna-nin I encountered, the average Suna ninja seems to be far more skilled than the average Konoha ninja."

"That's true. Suna focuses on quality rather than quantity and how useful you are determines your worth, disregarding all other factors. But their education system is horribly constrained and strict, unlike Konoha's diversity. As a result of their propaganda and culture, they produce tough standalone ninja, but their support team is atrocious. Most aren't specialised and there is so much wasted potential because of their habit to handpick ninja with the same old easily recognisable talents right from the start. It saves resources, but anyone with valuable support or passive skills tend to get cut out very quickly due to bias and a perceived lack of value. So many Suna-nin have similar skill sets because of their precise selection process. Suna may have done away with clans for the most part, but as a result, the entirety of Suna functions as a giant clan, serving only itself and clearly valuing specific traits and professions."

"How do they stand with Konoha?"

"As an ally, their skills could become very useful with a little tweaking. As an opponent, there is little challenge to be found with the right strategy. They could win if they have an ace or five up their sleeves and a bunch of ambushes and surprise attacks, but Konoha is much stronger and bigger. But that's if we're talking about an invasion. In a war, Suna-nin will tough it out a lot better than Konoha-nin, though they still wouldn't last very long."

"Do you think they'll invade?"

"They're getting desperate. It is a very real possibility. But they will lose and they know it. They will not strike without a good ally or weapon. Even then Konoha recovers fast and can take a major blow or two without dropping appearances."

"And you are giving them just that. No, you are taking that away from them."

Michiko smirked. "Perhaps. Gaara's cute, capable and loyal, just how I like them. It'll take a while, though." Michiko's smirk dropped and her face darkened severely. "A very long while. When you get back to Konoha, give Shisui scroll number 10-76 from my third scroll shelf at home. Tell Takumi about my situation." A major plan must have been disrupted if Akimichi Takumi and Shisui were both involved. Almost nothing irked Michiko more.

"Understood."

"You're probably wondering why I decided to give such direct instructions. I am now confident that my barriers can keep the ANBU out."

"How good are the ANBU?"

"I'm not sure. They probably have greater lifespans than Konoha ANBU, but their espionage skills are nowhere as good. I had six whole hours to test them and I managed to get away with many things. There's still six days before the exam and I can develop specific countermeasures within that time. If Katashi-san truly is the best fuuinjutsu user in Suna, and I reckon he is, then tricking Suna-nin will require little more than caution and a few custom seals. I should have completely airtight seals ready in a week or so, but the ones I have right now are doing just fine."

"How does this look on a relative scale?"

"Just because everyone else is horrible at it, I'm probably one of the best specialists. But even in the grand scheme, Suna is so atrociously outdated I would cry if I had to work with that equipment for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, my learning curve has been hitting a wall lately. This project should help me improve."

"I see."

"How about your report on today's teams?"

Itachi kneeled on one knee as he handed Michiko a scroll. "12 teams arrived today. They seemed standard with one exception, most of them will struggle for a little before failing." Michiko quickly scanned through it when her chakra gave a huge sudden spike. Even though Itachi's chakra sensing skills were subpar, he could feel her shock easily.

"Michiko-hime? What's wrong?"

Michiko pursued her lips and her face settled down to a more scheming expression. "Itachi, did you notice anything out of place from the kenjutsu specialist team from Kiri?"

"Nothing other than their strange names."

Michiko leant back on her chair and Itachi instantly felt the change in atmosphere that always accompanied Michiko's activation of her Shadow Mind. Michiko only ever used it when there was some serious problem that could break her plans. What could possibly be so groundbreaking about that genin team?

"I'll go through plans when Akio gets back."

"How dangerous are they?"

"Not at all. You could eliminate them all easily." So they weren't the threat? Did their presence somehow signal another threat? Itachi continued kneeling for a few minutes before Michiko spoke again.

"Itachi, after this, I will be trapped in Suna for a minimum of half a year. I've had to push many plans back, but I can't let this problem slide. I do not trust Shisui to confirm my suspicions. During the second phase, I will track the Kiri team down and draw information from them. You will stay back with Akio. If I receive an indication that my suspicions are true, I will give you further instructions."

"Understood."

"You have very little information on the exceptional team."

"Yes. Kuromoto Kuromi is an unprecedented prodigy that excels in everything. She has the most concentrated kekkei genkai in the history of her clan and the most valuable doujutsu in Iwa, Kokukyo, which grants the user manipulation over space. Her combat abilities are unknown, but her quarters was surrounded by a barrier. Her teammates are ordinary and it seems likely that she has fuuinjutsu abilities comparable or greater than yours. My sharingan revealed that her chakra level, concentration and control are greater than most jounin and she seems to be in possession of the Explosive Release. I am not certain that I can battle her and emerge victorious."

"We'll stay away from her, but her powers aren't what I'm concerned about. It's her resemblance to a certain someone."

A certain someone? Kuromoto Kuromi had blonde hair tied into a half ponytail with the rest hanging to her waist. Her long bangs were clipped to the side and she had pale skin and a petite figure. She wore a casual red t-shirt and shorts with no visible weapons or equipment pouches. With her slippers, floppy hat and bright smile, she looked like she was attending a picnic rather than a deadly survival test. Itachi didn't know anyone who resembled her.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

"Does she have any relatives with her hairstyle? Specifically younger males with blue eyes?"

"I haven't looked into her background and I doubt I'll be able to dig up much information. The Kuromoto clan is very secretive and the Kokukyo is purple. It is said that the darker the shade of purple, the stronger the kekkei genkai. Kuromoto Kuromi's eyes are so dark they appear black so she probably comes from the main line or one of the close branches. I find it unlikely that she would have a relative that didn't inherit the Kokukyo."

"I'll have someone else look into it." Michiko sighed and thought for a while. "By the way, have you killed anyone before?"

"Yes. When I was about to be kidnapped." As a child, he had never been told that killing was wrong. It was spoken of as an honour to serve his clan, a necessity in the world they lived in. 'Killing is wrong' was a concept Itachi himself had come up with separate of common morality.

"Good. I plan to expose Akio to assassination and slaughter. I'm not completely sure as to how he would react, so it's best to do it in a relatively controlled environment like the chuunin exams. I understand if you do not wish to complete the mission. I am capable of doing it myself."

Distaste immediately filled Itachi and left a sour taste in his mouth. He knew Michiko wasn't noble or upright, but to kill for the sake of killing? There was no necessity, no justification, nothing. Michiko had specified that it would be slaughter, not self-defence. Assassination implied that they would be targeting groups and killing them simply because without any provocation.

There was also that little information drop Michiko had added. That she could do the mission herself. Itachi knew Michiko didn't shy away from death but had she killed before? Her words and attitude suggested so. When had she had the chance? Itachi knew that she had been in Konoha all her life and had never stepped outside of its borders before. No police records suggested that she was involved in anything suspicious.

But most importantly, Michiko was testing him. Testing his loyalty, testing his commitment. Would he kill for her? Would he follow orders regardless of how bloody they got? Was he willing to slaughter every last genin in the chuunin exams at her command just because?

Of course, he would. Itachi never did anything half-heartedly. There was no second guessing, no takebacks. He was in this for life. He had known from the beginning that this was just the beginning of a lifetime of bloodshed. He would follow her orders to the grave or not follow her at all. That she thought to factor in his reluctance was an honour in of itself, though he knew he wouldn't have the luxury later on.

"I will follow your orders to my grave and beyond."

Michiko smiled softly. She placed her brush down on the desk and held her arms out. "And I will accept no less. Come here."

Itachi got up and straddled Michiko. He nuzzled his face between her comforting bosom. Michiko breathed a laugh, gently stroking his head with her right hand and lighting her left hand with medical chakra. Itachi breathed out heavily against Michiko's warm breasts as her chakra mingled with his. He wrapped his arms around her and wiggled a little to find a more comfortable position.

They stayed peacefully like that for a quarter of an hour or so before Itachi heard Akio coming down the hall. Since Michiko made no move to change their position, Itachi stayed put.

"I finally finished, Michiko-chan. That Katashi dude was completely up my ass and-" Akio stopped short as he presumably caught sight of them. Itachi removed his face from her bosom to look at him. Akio's mouth had fallen open and his eyes bulged out.

Itachi could feel Michiko's amusement intimately through their chakra connection. "Please, do continue. I want to hear what Katashi-san said."

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" Akio shrieked. Itachi did not understand why he was so bothered.

Michiko sighed. "Don't be such a drama queen. And close the door. The privacy wards are weaker if the door isn't closed."

"B-but-but th-that is entirely inappropriate!"

Now Itachi's interest was peaked. Was there some sort of societal rule he was breaking? "How so?"

"How so? HOW SO? Your face was in her boobs! And you were hugging and everything and you're on her lap!" What did that have to do with anything? Akio started to descend into full panic mode as his voice started breaking up. Since Akio was panicking too much to think, Michiko gently pushed him off to go close the door.

"Could you expand on your explanation?"

"You're a guy and she's a girl!"

"That fact has not managed to escape me."

Akio sputtered. "That means you're not supposed to be so… so close! You're not supposed to hug or kiss or go anywhere near her boobs!"

Itachi felt like something was flying over his head. "What does kissing have to do with this situation? I understand that males and females have their differences and that physical contact is dangerous in many cases, but why are you so adamant on maintaining distance specifically based on gender? And why does my contact with Michiko-hime's breasts seem to bother you so much?"

"Because it's just wrong! She's a girl and you can't just shove your face between a girl's tits! That's weird and you don't do that unless you're together!"

Ah. So making contact with a female's breasts was, for some reason, only reserved for their male partners. That would explain why Akio was so panicked. He knew that a female's breasts were considered to be a 'private area' due to societal norms, but he had not been educated as to what those societal norms were. That also explained some of Shisui's weird comments about Noa's bust size and why he was flustered when Itachi questioned him. He hadn't thought about it since Michiko showed no signs of aversion, but if Michiko decided that she was fine with it, Itachi didn't see any problems.

"Michiko-hime is allowed to do whatever she wishes with her breasts, with or without society's approval. This includes, and is not limited to, who comes into contact with them. Since this applies to every other part of her body, I do not see the issue."

Akio looked utterly scandalised. "Who she- so you're okay if Michiko-chan just lets any guy touch her? So you're okay with her doing… stuff with other guys! You're okay with prostitution?!"

Itachi felt as if Akio was panicking too much and escalating the situation unnecessarily. "What is prostitution?"

"You don't know? How could you not know?!"

Itachi frowned. "How is one supposed to explain one's inadequate knowledge on a subject if one did not know said subject existed prior to being questioned?"

Akio's face crinkled up strangely. "Can you quit talking like that? It's fucking annoying! How is anybody supposed to understand what you're saying!"

"I apologise. I shall rephrase my question. I do not know what prostitution is. So how am I supposed to explain how I don't know it?"

"How am I supposed to know? You're the genius here!"

"'Genius' does not translate into knowing how to solve every single situation. This is one such situation."

"If the genius can't solve it then how do you expect me to?"

"Since you posed the question, I assumed that you had a better grasp of the subject and situation in question."

"I-"

Michiko finally lost patience and walked over to them, grabbing their heads and slamming them together. She normally let them go on for a while more, but today had been trying for her.

"Akio, I'm sure every ninja within a fifteen room radius would've heard you if not for my privacy wards. Have a little more control."

"But Michiko-chan! How can you allow that to happen! Aren't you bothered?"

"No. You're the only one that's bothered. I don't see the problem."

"But you're a girl of marriageable age and Itachi's only three years younger than you! It's just- It's just wrong!"

"Itachi is nine. There is nothing 'inappropriate' going on."

"But-but then you could just… tell him, right? I mean, Itachi's already a weird mini adult robot thing!"

"Perhaps. It might come in handy, but…" Michiko gave a mischievous smirk. "Actually, Itachi, after you hand the scroll to Shisui, ask him what sex is."

"I know what it is. My clan head educated me on my future duties as head of the clan, including the continuation of the main house."

"But it was a rudimentary 'insert peg A into slot B' lesson, no? Did he touch on the societal impacts?"

"No. He merely covered the safety and anatomic aspects."

"Then ask Shisui about it. Make sure he cannot escape and do not let up until he gives you an answer that delves deeply into the physical, emotional and cultural aspects of the topic."

Itachi didn't like being out of the know, but it didn't seem to be knowledge that impacted him greatly or that needed to be acquired urgently.

"Very well."

Akio gaped. "Wait, you're going to make Uchiha Shisui give The Talk?"

"He likes to play with me. Striking back proves to be entertaining."

Akio's attention was immediately diverted. "Play with you? Is he bothering you? What did he do to you?"

Michiko shrugged. "He stalks me."

Akio choked on air. " _What?!"_

"I think he's pretty obsessed. He took me out to an eight-course dinner at the most expensive restaurant in the Old Sushi Town and bought me lots of top quality, traditionally feminine gifts. He broke into my home, rifled through the whole house and left nothing unturned. His most frequent activities outside of missions and Uchiha-related business are connected to me in some way, including stalking me, during background checks of me and everyone I happen to know as well as trying to weasel information out of me. He interrogated Aina, tried to endear himself to her and has recently been hanging around Noa-sensei in an attempt to get closer to our team."

Saliva flew out of Akio's mouth as he snarled. "That bastard! He'll pay for trying to mess with you!" The way Michiko phrased the events were reminiscent of cases Itachi had read pertaining to love-obsessed Uchiha stalkers. Since such incidents usually ended up in at least one death, Itachi felt that Akio had a reason to be worried, even if Itachi knew that Shisui was very sane by normal ninja standards.

Michiko raised an eyebrow. "You can take on Uchiha Shisui?"

Akio's face twisted. "Someone has to! That fucking playboy isn't getting his filthy hands anywhere near you!"

Michiko rolled her eyes. "Uchiha Shisui isn't known for being respectful of a woman's personal space, but he isn't a molester or a rapist. Someone with his looks can find many kunoichi willing to have a night of fun with him."

"But that's precisely how it all starts! The playboy hits on a sweet girl for fun, gets mad when she rejects him and then chases after her. They slowly get closer, they fall in love and the playboy swears off other girls to be with her. Or even the star-crossed lover cliche where the guy of high status falls in love with a peasant girl, there's the whole 'oh-no-we-can't-be-together-because-of-blah-blah-blah' shit and then the guy abandons all his duties and leaves his old life to be with her and they live happily ever after. Or-"

"You read too many cheesy romance novels."

Akio flushed. "I do not read those damned books!"

Michiko raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Then why are there so many romance novels in your old house?"

"They're Ayano's!"

"Ayano can't read very well."

"Well, they were my mum's, but they're Ayano's!" Akio's face darkened. "But I guess they're _his_ now." Did Akio have a mood disorder? Itachi had never seen anyone switch emotions so drastically.

"We'll deal with Konoha matters when we return to Konoha. More importantly, what did Katashi ask you?"

"He was insulting you Itachi-style, all stoned face and saying polite sounding bullshit when he's really just trying to start a fight. He said that you were just another weak, romance-obsessed little girl who acted tough but couldn't do anything! Imagine that! He was being completely stupid and he even thought you hated him!"

The ANBU were still compiling her profile? They were taking awfully long. It could be inefficiency, but it was probably thoroughness. Try as she might, there was no way Michiko could completely cover her tracks. There was no way she would completely cover her tracks. Knowing Michiko, she would ensure that the knowledge of her true power fell into the hands of the people she needed it to. After all, it was difficult for a 13-year-old genin with seemingly no credentials to get sufficient respect and leverage. Making the right people aware of her value and at the same time making them underestimate her through subconscious prejudices was something Michiko had a fair amount of expertise in. 'Weak and romance-obsessed' was one of the many stereotypes surrounding young Konoha kunoichi. In all likeliness, Katashi had fallen right into Michiko's trap. There was a good chance that he had a hand in her profiling so the incorrect assumption would be making its way to the Kazekage.

Michiko sighed. "Somehow, I don't think that is an accurate report, but I got the gist. Don't get so angry. You know he's just trying to get information out of you because he thinks you have a loose mouth, right?"

Akio turned red. Again. Itachi hadn't bothered taking note of exact numbers, but he noticed that around Michiko, Akio was approximately four to five times more likely to flush red. "O-of course I knew that! It was completely obvious!"

"Good to know your observational skills have improved a little. How did your training go?"

"As usual. How long will we be staying?"

"Itachi will have to go back after the exams, but we might be here until June in the best case scenario. October is far more likely, though."

"Ten months! But you said it'd take three months to sort out the outer bits!"

"I don't know what to expect after I remove those seals. June is being realistic, but after looking at the mess closely, I can tell that my estimates will get pushed back constantly. Don't get your hopes up."

"But how about Ayano?"

"Don't worry about her. She'll appreciate a little freedom. She can always come visit if you miss her that much."

"But what if she needs something? I won't be able to help her!"

"Ayano can handle herself. You're going to have to leave her eventually. Right now, she has Gai with her for half the day on most days and I plan to have Itachi teach her a few tricks. She'll be living with Aina under all my barriers. She'll be fine."

Akio frowned. "Why are you training her to be a ninja?"

"Who ever said that I am? Knowing taijutsu isn't all there is to being a ninja. One could rival a kage and they still wouldn't be under any obligation to join the military."

"Then what are your plans for her?" A redundant question. Questioning your Master's motives was a show of a lack of faith, something Itachi found utterly disgraceful.

"You should know by now asking me that is pointless. Don't worry. I'm not planning on doing anything Ayano isn't willing to do. Historically, any ally worth coercing becomes too much trouble down the line. I'm willing to bet that Ayano would love what I have planned."

Akio's frown deepened. "And how would you know that?"

"Ayano and I have very similar tastes and philosophy."

"But she's seven! What sort of philosophy could she have?"

"She's quite a genius, your little sister. I imagine you'll be in for a big surprise when we finally get back."

"Ayano? A genius?"

"Don't worry, she isn't the same kind of genius as Itachi. Itachi's about as OP as they get. Even disregarding the maxed out tragedy and drama stats, I doubt I'll ever discover someone like him. Ayano, on the other hand, is just the type of person whose talents would be completely overlooked." Oupi? Maxed out tragedy stats? What did Michiko mean?

Akio looked just as puzzled as Itachi felt. "What? I don't get what you mean."

"No matter. Anyway, we may have to go back early and come again later."

"Why?"

"It depends on how messed up he is on the inside. We'll need to send for chakra surgeons either way, but he's in an emergency situation, we'll call for Jiraiya. However, if the mess is as complicated as I think it is, but not immediately damaging, I'll need to learn iryoninjutsu."

"But can't you just tell the surgeons what to do?"

"I could, but we're talking in micrometers here. If you don't know exactly what you're cutting into and you trigger a chain reaction, you're doomed. Not to mention the person we're cutting into is the Suna jinchuuriki and the Kazekage's son. If we kill him, Konoha's going to be under a lot of fire and they're going to hold me responsible. We need a surgeon with fuuinjutsu knowledge. The Hokage's going to check the roster, but unless we can call Tsunade-hime back, we're probably not going to find one."

But that meant that Michiko would rather spend years of her life learning iryoninjutsu than find Tsunade. Michiko was extremely manipulative when it came to emotions and she was not afraid of poking sore spots. Itachi was sure that if there was anyone who could drag Senju Tsunade back, it was Michiko. She would probably gain a lot of leeway for the accomplishment. Outside of the obvious, what would she gain from learning iryoninjutsu? It didn't make much sense to Itachi, so this was probably a part of some big convoluted scheme that she wasn't going to tell anyone about.

"How long is it going to take you?"

"At least two years."

"Two whole years?! Just on studying?"

"That's with me rushing through the program and the Hokage authorising an apprenticeship. Becoming a doctor is no joke. It takes the average fresh genin five years to be cleared for surgery without any particular specialisation. But I have basic medical knowledge, field experience, high chakra control and the ability to produce medical chakra. That's worth maybe a year to a year and a half. I'll be compressing three to four years into two."

"What? But won't that mean you'll be super busy and stressed out? And you already have so much work to do!" Itachi actually agreed with Akio on this point. Michiko was running herself into the ground. At the same time, Itachi knew Michiko knew this and that was why she relied on others to do work for her, be it running international errands and fixing coffee or overseeing business ventures worth hundreds of millions and playing with politics. She knew what she was doing.

"I have the basic foundation already, so I don't need that much more chakra control and yin concentration has never been an issue for me. What I really need is medical knowledge, techniques and a little more precision and experience. Lots of that can be done with a kage bunshin."

"But you already have chronic chakra drain!"

"It forces the body to ramp up the production of chakra and in the long run, slowly increases chakra capacity. As long as one receives the right nutrition and uses the excess chakra before it builds up, there is no real issue."

"But you shouldn't strain yourself so much. I read that ninja with chronic chakra drain also need to get a lot of rest. You never sleep right." Akio had a point. Chronic chakra drain was very common during wars. It caused a weakened immune system, heavy stress on the body and decreased chakra sensitivity. It was estimated that at any one point, at least 65-75% of the war effort suffered from it and as much as 13% of ninja casualties were indirectly caused by chronic chakra drain, be it from disease or lack of concentration. While there were benefits, studies suggested that it decreased overall lifespan due to the stress.

"Akio. I am going to do this. Are you coming or not?"

"Of course I am! It's just… I thought you didn't want to become an iryonin. I thought you wanted to be a coffin maker, not a doctor."

"For all intents and purposes, working on Gaara means the exact same thing." Means the exact same thing? Was there a deeper reason behind why she wanted to be a coffin maker other than convenience? But if the reason why she helped Gaara was out of nostalgia, then it made no sense.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Michiko sighed. "You never stop asking questions, Akio. That's not important. We still haven't gone over plans for the latest batch of teams."

Akio's shoulders slumped. "Do we really have to have at least five plans on how to defeat every single team?"

Michiko gave Akio an exasperated look and grabbed the scroll Itachi had handed her. She laid it out on the table Itachi walked over to the table with Akio following.

"Here's the plan: We're going to make sure Team 11 and Team 11 alone graduates from this chuunin exams. No one else shall make it through the final round. We'll make our world debut memorable."


	18. Invasion I

Team 11 arrived early outside an examination hall in the Kazekage tower and stood in the corner. Michiko ran her chakra through the walls, studying the barriers in place. She could crack them within an hour if needs be, but she'd rather not cause property damage to an allied country. After she was confident she could break the barrier, she quickly scanned every single one of the contestants, confirming what she already knew and memorising every last chakra signature. The atmosphere was tense and everyone was watching everyone. Many Konoha-nin glanced nervously in Itachi's direction and that caught the attention of all who didn't already know about Itachi. Many genin were doing the same thing to their village's respective powerhouses and Michiko was delighted to find that the overall power level of this chuunin exams was a lot higher than usual.

She had been a little stressed lately and she was going to expose Akio to slaughter so…

"Akio, get out there and make as many people as angry at you as possible. Act like you're acting on your own and that you're the type of guy who picks fights, even with us."

"Huh? Why?" Michiko raised an eyebrow. "Fine."

Akio stood up and walked to a group of Kiri-nin.

"What do you want?" One of them growled.

Akio put on his best haughty look which successfully came off as extremely condescending. Michiko felt a small burst of pride. Akio may be horrible at making nice and being sneaky, but he had the underrated talent of spewing insults, starting fights and making an ass of himself. He was particularly good at portraying the 'condescending clan supremacist douchebag' persona due to all his time hating on said persona. Michiko found the ability to construct conflicts as much of a skill as the abilities to deconstruct or resolve one.

"I don't want anything from _you._ " Akio sniffed snobbishly. He glanced down at their tattered clothing. "With equipment like that, there's no way you can possibly offer me anything."

The Kiri-nin in question just so happened to be Michiko's person of interest, Ian. Other Kiri-nin started laughing at him.

"See? Even baby Konoha-nin can tell that you're from the slums." A Kiri kunoichi from another team jeered, her clan symbol was clearly printed on her left sleeve.

"Shut up!"

Akio snorted. "Whatever you say, clan cunt. Expensive shit or not, you're both equally crappy."

Both of them glared at Akio and reached for the weapons. The kunoichi snarled. "Be careful of what you say to your superiors, scrub. He's shit with a sword but even someone like him can kick your ass."

Akio shrugged. "Whatever. All Kiri-nin are just poor barbarians who sit around looking pretty and can't do shit. Even if all Kiri teams tried to take on Team 11, you simpletons won't stand a chance." By now the fight had caught the attention of everyone. The bloodlust level rose quite nicely and those who had never experienced it before froze, giving Michiko a good indication of their experience levels. Hands inched to weapons and the Kiri team Akio was insulting drew their swords.

"You're just talk! I know a weakling when I see one. You're just hiding behind that kid on your team!"

Akio's temper rose, but he kept his cool. "I know I'm not just talk, but you sure are. Anyone stupid enough to draw their weapons in a foreign village was probably just recruited because Kiri had some spare cash. And here I thought Kiri was so poor their citizens ate dirt."

Ian withdrew his sword, but the kunoichi from the other team swung her sword at Akio. Akio moved back but before the kunoichi could execute her swing, a jounin intercepted her.

"Fighting is forbidden. Put your weapon away."

The kunoichi was releasing lots of her bloodlust. It wasn't too bad for a Kiri genin. She had likely killed a couple of times, though she hadn't been in a good old massacre and thought that she had the edge over genin without desensitisation. Quite a few of the younger genin looked scared, but Akio had experienced her bloodlust continuously over the years. This was nothing. Genin who had killed before would see Akio's lack of reaction to her bloodlust as a sign of bloody field experience.

The kunoichi glared at the jounin. The jounin met her gaze unflinchingly. She reluctantly sheathed her sword and glared at Akio.

"Watch your back. When phase two comes, I'll hunt you down and slit your throat!"

"I guess you could _try_. I don't expect much from you, so don't feel pressured to live up to anything."

The kunoichi's face twisted, but before she could rebut, the jounin stepped in.

"You too, Konoha. Cut it out."

Akio rolled his eyes. "Might as well. No point in talking to plebeians." Akio sauntered off, leaving everyone from Kiri emitting bloodlust and glaring at him.

Michiko watched on gleefully as Akio proceeded to anger the Kusa and Ishi-nin, made the Taki-nin draw their weapons, basically declared war with Iwa and caused a very popular girl from Kumo to cry.

"That's enough! You're a disgrace to Konoha!" Akio turned to see Yamanaka Yui glaring at him.

"What I do is my own business."

"We are both representatives from Konoha! Your behaviour reflects on our village! It's shameful that I even have to tell you this!

"If you have nothing better to do, go flirt with some other guy. Yamanaka kunoichi are only good at spreading their legs."

Yui was livid, her whole face flushing red with anger and her fists clenched in an effort to stop herself from hitting him. "How dare you, Uchiha!"

"I'm not Uchiha. I'm Kouru Akio."

"Don't give me that crap! So what if you changed your name? You aren't fooling anyone! Once an Uchiha, always an Uchiha! If you're born in the clan, you're part of the clan!"

Akio looked down at her. "Don't lump me in with them. I don't care to hear your nonsense."

"You-" Her teammate, Nara Kasuga, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We're representatives of our village, remember?"

The Yamanaka glared at her teammate. "Whose side are you on?"

Kasuga glanced over at Michiko. Michiko sighed. Akio had just about angered everyone already. Some probably suspected it was on purpose, so it was time to cement the act.

"Akio, come back."

Akio glared at Michiko. "Shut up, you're not the boss of me!"

Perfect. He understood his role. Akio was slow, but he knew what he was supposed to do even if he didn't understand why he was supposed to do it. Michiko put on a long-suffering look and Itachi imitated her, acting as if Akio was always like that and that this was a regular occurrence. This way, it seemed as if their team was cobbled up at the last minute to allow Itachi to participate and that Akio and her were just spares who barely made the bar.

"Then I guess you don't want any homemade bento anymore."

Akio snorted. "You're only good in the kitchen. If you don't make me bento, what good are you?"

Akio instantly earned the ire of most kunoichi in the room. The Yamanaka kunoichi moved to slap Akio before her teammate intercepted her strike. "Let me go! Let me show this sexist piece of shit what a kunoichi can do!"

Her teammate looked as exasperated as Michiko was pretending to be. "Calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?! You're telling me to calm down when there's a misogynistic Uchiha in front of me that needs to be beat up?!"

At this, Itachi stood up and glanced at Michiko for specific instructions.

Michiko sighed. "I wish Akio doesn't draw such negative attention." This was a clear order to maintain the negative attention of the other genin and Itachi was not to show any extraordinary talents that would keep people away. Itachi quickly made his way to the Yamanaka with speed indicative of competency, but not of prodigious skill.

"Yamanaka-san, I'm afraid that I have to correct you. As the heir of the Uchiha clan, I must state that Kouru Akio is not a member of my clan and thus, his actions are not representative of my clan. I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop referring to him as such."

"So? Even if you aren't in the same clan, you're still teammates! Shouldn't you be doing something about his behaviour?"

"How Kouru Akio chooses to conduct himself is representative of no one but himself at this moment. I am fairly certain that-"

"Phase one of the Chuunin Examinations is starting now. As for the Konoha brats at the back, if you don't stop arguing now, I'll fail all of you on the spot." The room fell quiet at the sudden arrival of the jounin examinator.

"You are to take a number from the box and sit in the seat that corresponds with the number you have drawn. There will be an examination paper at each seat. You are not to move, touch or temper the paper or its placement and you are not to communicate with your teammates once in the exam hall." Drawing lots? Splendid. It was a good thing she had 200 pre-prepped remote-controlled compulsion seals that doubled as paralysis and explosive seals plastered onto her arms. It was a handy little original she came up with and due to its small size and chakra efficiency, it was hard to detect as it blended in with the host.

Michiko waited for a while before walking up to the table. She made sure to give off a bored and tired look as she dipped her hand into the deep box relatively slowly. The lazy act gave her an extra second and a half to transfer the seals from her arm to the number cards. In a little less than four seconds, Michiko had transferred the seals over to seven number cards and had picked the number '75'.

The first thing that Michiko noticed when she walked into the exam hall was that the individual tables were pressed up against one another and the rows were quite narrow, unlike a typical exam hall. Luckily, her seat was in the middle and it was completely normal to walk in close proximity to the other seats and she placed her seals on the seats.

Participants slowly filed into the exam hall and sat down. She was completely surrounded by others. Yamanaka Yui sat at her right and Kuromoto Kuromi sat on her left. Michiko made sure to transfer the seals from the tampered number cards and chairs onto the participants, giving her compulsion over them. There was also the fact that since they used their hands to touch the number cards and chairs, she could blow their hands up. Even though the explosive element wasn't very powerful, it would be enough to end the victim's career as a ninja. The second phase was almost always directly after the first phase and there was no one here who could come close to beating Itachi without their hands.

"In front of you is a test paper made out of special chakra paper. A certain chakra nature is needed to make the questions visible and no test paper is identical. Fighting and killing are prohibited. Damaging the test paper is prohibited. The entire team has to have an overall score above 200 marks. Each individual has to have at least 50 marks. Getting out of a designated seat is prohibited. Teammates are not allowed to communicate with each other. Being caught violating any of the above rules will result in instant failure. You have one hour."

Clever. They could control how many people passed very easily. Through her sensing skills, she could tell what the chakra nature of most of the papers was with some effort. Around 60% of the papers were wind-natured and there was only about 40% of participants were wind-natured, almost all of them from Suna. The only place wind nature had any abundance was Suna and it was very rare outside of them, unheard of in some countries. Water and Fire-natured papers made up around 15% each as Konoha was an allied country and water was the second most common nature in Suna due to demand. Lightning and Earth had 5% each as Suna's ties with Iwa were tenuous at best and Kumo was Iwa's go to ally. Assuming that no teams found a way to communicate what the questions were and that no one found a way to read what the questions were without having the correct chakra nature, the absolute maximum number of people who could pass was only around 60%. The bias was very obvious. Any Iwa or Kumo genin good enough to be entered into a Suna exam would probably notice this very easily. As for the minor countries who had Lightning and Earth natures predominantly? Well, too bad. They would just have to be caught up in the bigger countries' politics once again.

The chuunin exams were usually geared to test one specific specialisation and the writing portion usually tested for non-fielding skills like espionage and communication. As for this one, participants had to obtain another test paper and protect the test paper they had. The obvious method would be stealing, but that was too uninspired for a chuunin exam.

"You may begin in 3… 2… 1… start!"

Everyone turned their papers over and run their chakra through their paper. Michiko did the same, but not before trapping the paper with her seals. Her test paper was lightning-inclined. Even though she was just starting to learn the Lightning Release and didn't know a single lightning jutsu, her chakra should have changed due to her training. The paper didn't react at all to her chakra. It made sense that the paper would only react to one's natural chakra nature. Otherwise, any genin who didn't know an elemental release would almost certainly fail on the spot. While skewing the exams in the host nation's favour was an expected practice, outright excluding a large number of participants wasn't.

"Yamanaka-san." Most participants expressed degrees of surprise when she spoke. Yamanaka Yui continued ignoring her as she didn't want to be accused of cheating. "Yamanaka-san, would you like to trade papers?" She got no response. "Don't worry, the rules stated that communication with teammates is prohibited, but it said nothing about other participants. Why do you think I haven't been kicked out?"

At this, Yui sat up and looked around along with most people. The chuunin proctors were looking at their interaction closely, but no one moved to stop them.

"Yamanaka-san, the deal with this exam is negotiation."

"I see. But how do I know I can trust you? You might have done something to the paper."

"That's the whole point. You don't."

Yui regarded her for a few more seconds before handing her paper over. Michiko handed Yui paper 1, transferred some of the seals from paper 1 onto Yui remotely and proceeded to rig paper 2. It was wind nature paper. Around them, others started trading as well. Now that the option of trading has been taken up by many, if one doesn't trade, that probably meant one either already has the paper or one planned to steal. In other words, those who refused would be targeted by saboteurs and those who completed the test would need to guard their papers.

"You are that sexist pig's teammate, aren't you?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"How can you stand that little shitstain?"

Michiko shrugged. "Lots of patience."

"Must be really hard for you. And I thought that Kasuga was horrible. Do you know him?"

"We've had a shogi match or two."

"Who won?"

"You can ask him yourself."

Yui was visibly put out by her non-answer. Michiko was finished rigging paper 2 quickly and the moment she finished, Kuromi spoke up.

"Would you like to trade?"

Michiko handed her paper over and Kuromi gave her hers. Michiko transferred the seals from paper 2 onto Kuromi and rigged paper 3. It was yet another wind natured paper. As Yui traded paper 1 with another ninja, Michiko transferred the some of the remaining seals on paper 1 onto that ninja.

Michiko continued this cycle for the next hour, rigging a total of 38 papers and successfully transferring seals onto 138 other ninja. From the sheer amount of papers passing through her hands, Michiko knew the proctors knew something was up, but her seals were designed to disintegrate quickly without a host, so they couldn't catch her. Through the compulsion, she had caused majority of the potential threats to fail by making them slip up while stealing, unable to obtain a suitable paper, compelling them to guess the wrong answers on multi-choice, controlling the team's overall score, making them angry enough to fight, making them angry enough to 'accidentally' damage the fragile test paper and the list on making weaklings pass was just as long.

Each test paper was of varying difficulty and total marks, ranging from the 50 point multi-choices to the 150 point essays and analysis. Itachi had already procured the hardest possible paper for himself and completed it, having no trouble fending off thieves. Nearly everyone refused to trade with Akio, but Itachi had used genjutsu to pass a completed paper to him, so Akio just had to act pissed off and pretend he didn't have a good paper. Michiko had already tracked down the best paper for her and through compulsion seals, obtained it in the last twenty minutes and completed in fifteen minutes.

"It seems like you're finished." Kuromi commented. She was one of the seven people who noticed her seals and the only one amongst them to remove them. She definitely had quite a bit of fuuinjutsu skill. She had spent the entire exam retying her long blonde hair into a half ponytail, showing off her professional-level nail painting skills and eating sandwiches. She made no effort to fend off thieves, seemingly unconcerned and disconnected from the situation.

"May I have a name?"

Kuromoto Kuromi smirked. "Don't pretend you don't know. You're probably the best one yet, _Michiko_."

"You know my name?"

"Of course. And I have no doubt Itachi told you mine."

"You know about Itachi?"

"Who doesn't? He's a sweet one, but ultimately very predictable when you dig down to the roots." Kuromi seemed to be unusually interested in their team. Michiko wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"You seem interested in him."

"I was, once upon a time, but he got old and boring fast."

"You've never talked to him."

Kuromi laughed. "Oh, _Michiko_. You're really not all that different from the others in this ninja world. You're just a couple steps ahead, that's all. The only real difference between you and them is that you've not gotten old just yet."

Wait, 'this ninja world'?

"'This ninja world'?"

"'This world's a great sandbox, but I'd rather look for a way to die than spend an eternity here.' You and I share some things in common." At this point, there was no way this was a coincidence. How was Kuromi privy to her conversation with Takumi?

"Who are you?"

Kuromi smirked. Suddenly, everything around them froze in place. Sweat paused mid-drip, hair hung in midair and even chakra was stationary. It was as if time had just stopped. Was this a genjutsu or had time really stopped?

"Me? I'm nothing but a thrill seeker, not much different from you."

"You want me to entertain you."

"You have already entertained me. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed about what happened the last time round, but I suppose it can't be helped. I really do hope you succeed this time. If you disappoint me, I will curse you with eternity." If she wasn't the cause of Michiko's problem, then Kuromi was at the very least aware of a significant portion of Michiko's history. That made her a threat, but their power and knowledge difference was so overwhelming that Michiko knew she had no hope of crossing it.

"Do you always go around plucking people out of their worlds?"

Kuromi sighed and pouted, looking rather put out. "The people on the other side seemed different enough to be interesting. They turned out to be so boring to watch though, cowering in fear and too afraid to change the world. Even when I brought over groups of them, nothing really changed. Sometimes I gave them the Rinnegan or even created an amazing kekkei genkai just for them, but most went mad at the power or couldn't use it properly. I killed them off if the world didn't do it fast enough." So she could stop time, travel between worlds and create kekkei genkai? Genjutsu was much more believable but this explained a lot more.

"And was I part of a group?"

"That's the part you're concerned about? Hmm… perhaps. I'll leave that to you to find out. Let's skip some time."

Before Michiko could blink, the scene around her changed. They were still in the exam hall, but everyone, including herself, was in a different position.

"The exam is over. No one is to interact with their test papers in any way." Before Kuromi stopped time, they had had around three minutes before the exam ended. Was this what she meant by skipping time?

Kuromi stood up. "Great! It's finally over! I suppose I can leave now."

"All participants are to remain in their seats while the papers are collected and marked. Sit down or I will have you disqualified."

Kuromi ignored the order and her teammates who were staring at her in shock. "Hmm, should I go for flashy or anti-climatic?" Kuromi sighed. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm obviously going out with a bang."

Kuromi snapped her fingers and everything around her crumbled to pieces.


	19. Invasion II

The ceiling exploded and only half the genin reacted fast enough to get out of their seats. Next, all four walls exploded. The chuunin and jounin proctors attempted to apprehend Kuromi, but all died in various ways, one was decapitated by wind, another roasted to death, another pierced through the brain by an icicle and majority of them were turned into piles of meat by mini tornadoes. Most genin were too shocked to move at the bloody display and even some of the chuunin that had rushed to the scene were stunned. But amongst the chaos, Michiko noted that the papers were completely unharmed. The debris from the explosions had failed to hit the papers and Kuromi had even taken the time to levitate them all onto the podium.

With a neutrally disinterested smile, Kuromi strolled out of the room. The exam hall was on the third floor right at the corner of the building and she exited through the hole in the wall facing the outside and seemingly walked on air. Jutsu were thrown at her, but they bounced off an invisible barrier. The rebound jutsu completely destroyed the room and took out a sizable chunk of the Kazekage tower, leaving only the podium and a meter radius around it standing. The genin would've died from the backlash, except they too were protected by a barrier. Half the reinforcements died on impact and the other half were out of commission. Michiko could sense every ninja in Suna jumping up in alert at the attack on the Kazekage tower and the Kazekage's presence could be clearly felt as he unleashed his chakra and gold dust from all over the village swarmed towards Kuromi.

All of this happened in the span of three seconds, leaving all the genin shell shocked. With a quick burst of chakra, Michiko knew that of the 68 chuunin and jounin in vicinity of the blast, 23 were dead, 25 were critically injured, only 3 were barely conscious and the casualty number was climbing by the second. It was quite clear that Kuromi wasn't going to stop at the Kazekage tower. None of the jounin sensei that had been waiting outside were conscious, which meant that there was no one to take charge of the situation. Right now, she was supposed to take control, which would be a display of leadership skill and competency that was expected of her. Her hands immediately moved to the rat seal and her shadows sneaked out and formed stasis seals.

Michiko spoke in her loudest, most authoritative voice. "Itachi! There are three critically injured ninja behind the wall. Use kage bunshin to carry them to the hospital. Akio, there are more bodies to the west. Carry the ones that have stasis seals." Michiko turned to the crowd of genin. Some of them were beginning to shake off the shock, but it wouldn't do for them to go into panic. "Is there anyone else who knows iryoninjutsu?"

It took a second before a Konoha kunoichi stepped out. "I-I just started and-"

"I don't care if you can only heal paper cuts. Suna needs all the help it can get. Have one of your teammates carry one of the critical ninja to the hospital. Don't heal the patient. Focus on keeping him alive till they get to the hospital. Is there anyone else?"

The panicked genin medics quickly stepped out and followed her authoritative voice. Of the 153 candidates, only seven knew iryoninjutsu, herself included, and most were at rudimentary level. Through her compulsion seals, Michiko got the genin to concentrate on orders instead of panicking.

"Everyone who can't heal are to assist those who can. The attacker, Kuromoto Kuromi is beyond a S-class threat. Try not to get caught up as collateral. I'll place life support seals on ninja with a chance of making it to the hospital. Those with red seals are unsafe to move and require medic nin. You should focus on those. You can disregard my advice, but don't bother with those that wouldn't make it."

"Who died and put you in charge?" The Iwa-nin sneered down at her.

Michiko gave the Iwa-nin an irritated look. "This isn't the time. You don't have to listen to me. You're a ninja, aren't you? If you can't be useful, don't sabotage efforts."

Michiko pushed her shadows further reaching under debris to lift them up and form status seals. "Kasuga, connect your shadows with mine. I need a boost, don't get sucked in."

Nara Kasuga quickly formed the rat seal and attached his shadows to her. As he struggled against her consuming flow, Michiko sucked his energy and directed them to the stasis seals, adding chakra infusing elements and other medical boosts. She got to the nearest critical ninja and patched up what she could before ordering the nearest genin to carry him to the hospital. She was barely chuunin level in iryoninjutsu and had never dealt with critical injuries. None of the genin knew how to heal the advanced injuries and only one other had enough experience to do patching.

"Sarutobi-sensei!" Yamanaka Yui spotted her jounin sensei. Even from this distance, Michiko could tell that Yui's jounin sensei was gone. If they had an A-rank medic at hand, maybe he would have stood a chance, but there was no way he was making it to the hospital. To Michiko's displeasure, her outburst caused many of the genin to seek out their jounin sensei, causing unnecessary drama as for those who realised their sensei were dead.

"He's not going to make it."

Yui turned around and glared tearily. "How would you know?"

"You're a sensor too. You should know it. You can try if you want, but he's not going to make the trip to the hospital."

Yui turned to the nearest Konoha medic whose teammate was carrying the Kiri jounin sensei of Ian to the hospital as the medic struggled to keep him alive. She obstructed their path and shook the medic. "Help me! Sarutobi-sensei is going to die!"

The newbie medic was already on the verge of panic and struggling to concentrate on her patient. "Please, stop! If my jutsu breaks, this person won't make it!"

Yui glared down at the medic's patient. "So what?! He's just a Kiri barbarian! Aren't you a Konoha ninja?! Shouldn't you be helping your own people?! My sensei is still alive! You can save him!"

Ian stepped in. "What did you say, cunt?! Just because we're from the slums doesn't mean we don't deserve to live!"

Yui's face was one of desperation and fury. "What has your sensei done? He's probably just another murderous psychopath that gets off on raping civilian women and slaughtering innocent clan kids!"

The medic attempted to escape, but Yui held onto her. Ian reached for his weapon and it was clear a fight was about to break out amidst dozens of critically injured ninja being treated by a couple of panicky rookie medics with many grieving genin collecting their sensei's corpses.

Michiko sighed. Stupid newbies. "Kasuga. Go and knock your teammate out before she gets someone killed."

Kasuga deliberated on the order for a second, but was luckily a lot calmer and more rational than his teammate. He quickly stood up and ran to Yui's side.

"Yui, he's already gone. He's already dead."

Yui could clearly feel that her sensei's life force had died and she shook the medic. "This is all your fault! If you helped my sensei first, he wouldn't have died! He's dead now because of your stupidity and incompetence! It's your fault he's dead! You killed him! Are you happy now?!"

The medic was losing her composure fast. Her teammate looked like he was contemplating dropping the body in favour of beating up Yui and Ian was just about ready to lop Yui's head off. Kasuga finally followed Michiko's advice and slammed the hilt of his kunai over Yui's head. He caught her before she fell to the ground and the medic gave him a nod of thanks before carrying on with her task. Kasuga and Ian shared a look before they both set to work, with Ian doing extraction work while Kasuga returned to her.

"What about my sensei?" Kasuga asked hesitantly. Michiko knew Kasuga knew what she was going to say. He just needed the reassurance.

"He doesn't have a kekkei genkai. Moving his corpse wouldn't accomplish anything. You'd just be wasting time." By now, Michiko had successfully attached a basic set of life support seals on all ninja with a surviving chance.

Michiko stood up and addressed the genin. "I've attached life support seals to all those with a surviving chance." There were dramatic chakra spikes amongst the genin whose jounin sensei were unmarked.

"But what about my sensei?" A panicked genin cried.

Michiko ignored the panicked genin and found the nearest critical ninja and started patching him to make him safe to move. "Kasuga, you can calm the genin down and make them useful or knock them out. You're the current best for the job."

Michiko could see Kasuga would rather be doing extraction work, but he followed her orders. Around her, multiple personal crises were breaking out amongst the genin. A medic who had to decide whether to heal her sensei or focus on a much more critical patient. A team falling out over whether they should prioritize saving ninja from their own village even if they had lower survival chances. A large fight amongst the Kumo-nin on whether they should focus on recovering corpses with kekkei genkai or save the living. With emotions and conflicts flying all over, it was child's play to use her compulsion seals to move them as she pleased.

After she finished patching the ninja, she called over the nearest genin to help her move the body while she performed life support. As she arrived at the hospital, it was obvious that medics weren't going to be deployed to their area. Bodies were being carried in at a constant stream and they were running out of beds fast. The hospital was rather small and very under equipped and understaffed to begin with. Add to the fact that many of the bodies were of foreign ninja and some of them had valuable kekkei genkai resulting in unconventional body structures, even the professional medics were starting to lose it as it was apparent that there was inevitably going to be some sort of political repercussion if they messed up badly. And in a situation such as this, there will be an inevitable mess-up. There were bound to be ninja taking advantage of the situation to steal some kekkei genkai. With the hospital accepting every bit of help they could get, even from foreign ninja, it seemed as if they thought that five D-class and two C-class medics were enough to cover the Kazekage tower.

It was on her third trip to the hospital when she was finally snatched up by one of the senior medics.

The senior medic walked up to her briskly. "You're the one doing the sealing work on the foreign ninja?"

"Yes."

"We need you here." Seeing as the situation back at the Kazekage Tower was mostly resolved, Michiko quickly obliged. The senior medic immediately strode off and Michiko trailed along. "We're flooded with emergency surgeries and not enough medics know their fuuinjutsu. Can you do surgery prep?"

"Show me the seals and there should be no problem."

"You've never done it before?" Her tone was a mix of incredulity and frustration.

"No."

The medic looked even more frazzled. "But with those fuuinjutsu skills, you should be an A-rank iryonin."

"I'm a fuuinjutsu specialist."

"Rank?"

"A-rank for fuuinjutsu, C-rank for iryoninjutsu."

"What can you do?"

"I am from the Nara clan. I can create an advanced set of B-class life support and emergency seals on multiple patients at one go using my shadow jutsu as a chakra medium."

"How fast and how many?"

"Just 18 minutes ago, I imprinted 30 ninja in under three minutes."

The senior medic stopped in her tracks. She grabbed the nearest medic.

"What are you doing right now?"

"I'm counting off the corpses of the foreign ninja-"

"That can wait. Go to the announcement room and notify everyone that there's a Nara who's going to be doing all the standard sealing work with her jutsu." The senior medic let go and the other Suna medic raced to the announcement room. The senior medic turned towards Michiko. "Imprint every patient with your seals. The area where you are most needed is-"

"I know. I'm a sensor."

The senior medic stared at her with incredible relief. "Good. Go now and report to another senior medic as soon as you're done."

Michiko raced to the ward nearest to the entrance as an announcement declaring her presence was released. The beds were completely taken up and there were several patients lying on the floors. Beside most of them were medics providing life support and the ones on the floor had medics drawing life support seals around them. The surgery and intensive care rooms were going to be full within the hour and so medics were drawing surgery prep seals around the beds to convert them into flimsy surgery rooms. The Suna medics were not only creating inferior seals, but since they only knew how to use ink as a medium and didn't know a flexible chakra conducting jutsu like the Nara's shadow jutsu, they could only do one at a time and at agonising speeds compared to hers.

Michiko spoke out in her commanding voice. "All sealers stand back. Continue life support on emergency cases only."

Before the inevitable questions of her identity arouse, Michiko immediately formed the rat seal and the sealers, recognising her jutsu, stepped back. Two minutes later, her job was done and she left as the greener medics stared at her with astonishment.

Michiko continued on but it was endless as more and more survivors, ninja and civilian alike, were being brought in. Most of them were collateral and many were in shock and had missing body parts. Michiko could still sense gigantic chakra bursts jarring at the edges of her senses even after she retracted her range.

Michiko was definitely feeling the effects of producing nearly half a thousand seals over a little less than two hours and was at the point where most ninja consider taking a soldier pill. But Michiko technically wasn't obliged to help Suna and she didn't want to waste so much chakra and leave herself vulnerable. Even though they were allied, she had received no orders from her village to aid Suna. Unfortunately, Suna expected her to help and she needed their trust, even if she knew she could get away with it.

Troublesome. Michiko was always a little jumpy whenever she was nearing chakra drain. Despite all her training, this body was physically weak due to her civilian heritage and yang chakra deficiencies. Her skill set was almost entirely reliant on chakra and most of her taijutsu moves gave away too much. While Michiko had genuinely fallen in love with fuuinjutsu, she missed the bloody old days so much that she had picked Gaara up simply because he reminded her of Kaichi.

To solve the problem, she usually surrounded herself with others. She could locate Itachi or Akio, but neither of them had medical skills and were likely doing extraction and escorting work. There was no reason for them to hang around the hospital and she wasn't in a position to leave the hospital. She really should've tattooed a set of protection seals onto herself before coming to Suna. But tattooing seals on a person was hard enough, let alone drawing long-lasting, A-rank protection seals onto herself. The chakra toll it would take on her was large enough that she had decided to wait until she could come up with a more efficient set of seals before tattooing herself.

That left her with Gaara. It was probably best she find him anyway and check on his mental state. Gaara had an ANBU unit tailing him. Most of them would've been ordered to help with defeating Kuromi, but as long as there was one ANBU, her presence would be accounted for. It would be relatively unsuspicious if she just so happened to find a bundle of mind seals that were negatively affected by the mental trauma of witnessing the invasion and needed to be removed ASAP.

Michiko quickly located the nearest senior medic. "I will be heading off."

"Where to?"

"That is private." Michiko left before the medic could say any more.

The sudden exposure to the battlefield was breathtaking. At least half of Suna's jounin were incapacitated or dead and the genin and civilians cowered in the shelters. One of the five world powers was crumbling right before her eyes in one swift sudden move. Michiko could feel the immense adrenaline rushing through her veins, the intensity of which had only ever been rivalled once in her existence.

Michiko had missed this. She had missed this so much. Perhaps after she established world peace, she would destroy the world.

Then again, Michiko didn't like destroying something she'd spent so long building up. Perhaps in another lifetime.

Michiko stopped the wide grin that threatened to spread across her face and expanded her range as fast as possible, wincing as sensory overload hit her. Kuromi had stopped randomly throwing explosives about in favour of floating above Suna looking mildly put out. Despite this, ninja died in droves every time she flicked a finger and used the next unknown jutsu so ridiculously powerful it fell into the realm of fantasy. She seemed to have scaled down a little, but scaled down meant creating a bolt of lightning powerful enough to demolish a district instead of seven fireballs that vapourised the Kazekage Tower and almost every other administrative building.

This emergency would basically force Suna to rely on Konoha for help. If Konoha refused, Suna was as good as dead. Thankfully, Michiko had gotten Danzou off the council. Konoha would definitely charge them heavily for protection and aid, but knowing the Sandaime, it wouldn't be crippling. However, Danzou's influence over the Konoha ranks hadn't magically vanished just because he lost his position. He was far from the only ninja who desired conquest over peace. Michiko would have to navigate the political landscape a lot more carefully in wake of the huge power vacuum, if Suna survived. It was possible that Kuromi wanted to destroy Suna completely, but it was unlikely as Suna's existence opened up many entertaining options. The fact that the hospital and three kilometers around it had been left untouched in an almost perfect circle supported Michiko's theory.

Despite all the chakra noise, Michiko found Gaara fairly easily as he was basically a giant spotlight to any sensor worth their salt. His distress was apparent and he was being kept in a secure and private shelter.

"Kaa-chan!" Gaara got up and attempted to hug her, but an ANBU appeared between them.

"What are you doing here?" Looks like she'd have to get through the standard motive questioning procedure. Troublesome.

"I thought I'd check up on Gaara. He has many mind control seals and they might be negatively affected by the invasion."

"Why now?"

"I was busy in the hospital. I'm going to be out of chakra soon and taking a soldier pill messes with control so I thought I'd check up on him first."

The ANBU seemed to decide that Michiko wasn't an imposter and didn't mean any harm and vanished back to his post.

Michiko beckoned Gaara over and he immediately went over to hug her.

"Kaa-chan!"

"Don't worry. You'll probably be safe." Michiko doubted Kuromi would try to kill Gaara. She seemed somewhat invested in Michiko's plans and Michiko could do a lot of things with Gaara. Still, Kuromi was a being powerful enough to take Suna on singlehandedly and Michiko had talked to her for less than a minute. Michiko's information on her was not only fatally deficient and full of speculation, but Michiko didn't even know how to begin gathering information on Kuromi aside from standard background profiling.

"It's not that! I can feel so many people and they're… they just vanished! And they won't let me help!" Gaara was a sensor? With that chakra system and that chakra control? Ninja with higher chakra capacity and yang concentration were generally more apt at long-ranged sensing, but even then, there was a very clear standard of chakra control necessary or there would be severe backlash due to uncontrolled sensory overload. This abnormally would explain why the ANBU let her examine Gaara so easily.

"Lie down. I need to scan you."

"Shouldn't we be helping people?"

"I've already helped a lot of people. Your control has improved a bit, but you are still suffering from the sealing. I need to scan you to see if you're safe."

"If I'm safe, will I be able to help?" As much as Michiko liked Gaara and respected his stupid willingness to help others, she was already seeing what a pain it could be in the future.

"I don't see a problem."

At this, the ANBU immediately descended from the ceiling.

"I cannot allow that." More standard procedure. Great.

"Gaara is capable of quite a bit of heavy lifting. His barriers are solid. I don't see a problem."

"The jinchuuriki might be killed or targeted by the enemy."

Michiko scoffed. "You can't say any decent ninja, sensor or not, can't feel Gaara if they tried. I could find him. A ninja who can wipe out Suna singlehandedly isn't going to break a sweat."

"I cannot allow you to take the jinchuuriki out of the shelter." Michiko sighed. Protocol and orders was always tedious, especially since ninja didn't make it a habit of updating them to fit current times. Then again, ANBU were allowed far less autonomy than regular ninja and Suna's rule abiding policies were only rivalled by Iwa and Taki.

"You can help people from within the shelter if it's safe."

"Is the jinchuuriki capable of that?" The ANBU interjected.

"That's what we're going to determine now. Lie down, Gaara."

Gaara lied down on the shelter floor. Michiko sent chakra into his belly. It took her a few seconds to note that his chakra ratios and concentration were a bit off. After delving in deeper, it was immediately apparent that the amount of bijuu chakra in his system had tripled since her last scan.

"There's a significantly higher amount of bijuu chakra leaking into his system."

The ANBU was probably concerned, though Michiko couldn't tell. "Is the seal still secure?"

Michiko quickly ran a scan. Nothing seemed out of place, but the chakra syncing mechanisms seemed to have shifted a little. "Gaara, have you been hearing voices in your head?"

"Yep! You said I had to understand the monster, right? We've been talking since last night. He says he doesn't like people but I'm better than most people. He says we can be friends!"

A spark of bijuu chakra exited the seal.

Gaara pouted in confusion and spoke to thin air. "But you did say we could be friends!"

A slightly larger spark.

"Yes you did! You said you'll help me and I'll help you!"

Another spark.

"But an ally is a friend, right?"

Spark.

"Yes it is!"

Spark.

"Yes! It is!"

Spark.

"Yes!"

Was Gaara actually engaging in a childish yes/no argument with a bijuu? The ANBU seemed slightly disturbed.

"Has the seal been compromised?" Some of the ANBU's wariness slipped into his tone.

"No. Gaara is doing this willingly. The seal hasn't been forced open."

"Then make him cease contact." Michiko sighed. Fuuinjutsu amateurs always spoke of the solutions as if they were simple and straightforward. The ANBU stared at her with impatience, as if expecting her to comply and work magic on Gaara's insanely convoluted seal.

"No. This is great news."

"How so?"

"I have reason to believe that communication with the bijuu is the key to control. This is due to the way jinchuuriki seals are structured. It's just a suspicion, but once my requested books come from Konoha, I'm confident I'll be able to confirm it." That was complete nonsense, naturally. While there was fuuinjutsu evidence, it was relatively weak and normally won't be worth the risk of having Gaara exposed to the influence of a bijuu. But if politics taught her one thing, it was how to bullshit.

"It would be safer to withhold their interaction until you are completely certain it is beneficial."

"Perhaps. Gaara, would you describe the bijuu as patient and understanding?"

Gaara paused in between arguing. "Nope!"

Michiko turned to the ANBU as Gaara's reply sparked another argument. "The bijuu won't sit around and wait for us to get things together. If we terminate contact, the bijuu may refuse to reach out again. Can you afford the possible consequences?"

The ANBU took a second to reply. Not surprising since the wrong decision could cost him his career or even his life, but the choice was fairly obvious. Continuing contact for a few days until Michiko could confirm the information most likely wouldn't have much of an impact, especially under close observation. Ceasing contact could permanently diminish a potential powerhouse. Even if Suna didn't desperately need power, it was a safer bet to let the contact go on.

"What are the chances that you are wrong?"

"3%." Michiko made sure her reply was confident and prompt as she made up a random number.

"What possible consequences may arise from prolonged influence?"

"About the same as introducing him to any other foreign ninja with their own agendas. Except this one hates humans from imprisoning it for centuries. But it's unlikely that the bijuu would be able to talk Gaara into slaughtering everyone in a few days and the seal is stable enough to allow for a few years of communication. What I'm worried about is how the mind seals would hold up against the onslaught of bijuu chakra. Gaara's mental state won't degrade in just a few days or even a few months at this rate. But it would be best if I removed some of the mind control seals."

Michiko also had no doubt that being isolated with only a bijuu for company and around four dozen poorly constructed mind-control seals directly influencing his fragile psyche would break a five-year-old's mind in an instant under the right circumstances. Better safe than sorry and unfortunately for Gaara, Michiko hadn't quite figured out how to cure lifelong mental trauma with a punch and a passionate speech.

"You know what could happen, right?"

Michiko snorted. It was clear that the ANBU was going to agree with her and he was just putting up a show. Michiko had been in a foul mood since coming to Suna and her patience for tedium was rapidly decreasing. "Suna will be in trouble, I'll be in trouble, I should act more like a scared genin, I should listen to the mighty ANBU more and I should quit being such a stubborn, meddling bitch. I get it. I'll be starting my operation now. It would be in Suna's best interests to prevent interference. If you disrupt me, there is a distinct possibility of me causing brain damage. Gaara, I'll be putting you to sleep. Cease contact."

"But I'm winning!" Spark. "Yes I am!"

Michiko sighed. "Gaara, I need to remove some of your seals. This will help you clear your head."

Gaara pouted. "Okay."

Michiko activated the seal on his head and gently pulled him into the illusionary world. She wanted to drag this out a little so she won't have to go back to the hospital. Also, mind surgeries were very delicate and other than the basic hormonal balancing and stress relieving procedures she did to Itachi, she usually didn't meddle with the brain.

If the sad attempts at chakra regulating seals were horrible, then Michiko, even with her vast vocabulary, could not find a word to describe Katashi's attempts at mind control seals. On the bright side, it meant that majority of the seals' attachment mechanisms were completely ineffective. Katashi had enough self-awareness to realise his lack of expertise and had designed the seals to satisfy the Suna council and be as weak as possible. Due to the poor calculations and application, most of the seals had failed to attach to Gaara's brain and instead coagulated into mostly harmless blobs of chakra floating in his system. The procedure to remove those was simple. Not to say that there weren't a mountain of problems caused by the ones that did attach or that tackling the mess Gaara's brain chakra was going through was easy in any sense, but at least most of the problems weren't going to literally explode in her face if she got it off by a millimeter.

Michiko drew a few barriers and surgery prep seals before extracting many of the floating blobs of chakra with relative ease. Michiko wasn't sure whether Kuromi spared the genin lodgings so she only had her usual combat-oriented fuuinjutsu equipment on hand. But she had mastered crafting finger-sized storage scrolls three years ago and could stack up to three space dimensions in nestled doll style, so her usual gear was more than enough. Some of the extraction and disposal processes were still harder than they had to be, but it was definitely less taxing and a lot more interesting and challenging than the rinse and repeat hospital sealing work.

It was only when Michiko was really running out of chakra that she finally stopped. It had taken two hours to extract six of the floating mind seals, including the time it took to set up the barriers. It wasn't bad for her first brain surgery, but it wasn't stellar by any means. A professional from Konoha could have done the extraction in less than half an hour. But she had taken her time and had mapped quite a bit of Gaara's mind. She now knew where the trouble spots were.

"I'm done with Gaara for now. I'll write a report to the Kazekage later." Michiko ran chakra through the seal on Gaara's head to slowly ease him into consciousness.

"The invader has escaped." At this, Michiko dropped the barriers and extended her range. True enough; the fighting seemed to have stopped. Judging from the chakra residue, the fighting had stopped not long after she started the surgery. The barriers she had placed blocked sensory information on both sides so the ANBU should have received some information on the situation without her noticing and should have a general idea on what was going on.

"Where are the foreign genin supposed to go?"

"The second phase will occur within the week. Every genin will be questioned to ensure the test papers in the first phase haven't been tampered with. During this questioning, foreign genin will have the option of helping and will be assigned tasks if they choose to help. Suna has already sent out a request for aid to Konoha and Konoha will probably oblige." Expected. Cancelling such an international event in the wake of an attack by an Iwa genin was an ultimate show of weakness. There was going to be quite a bit of political drama between Suna and Iwa and they were going to point fingers at each other when an inevitable someone demanded one of them take responsibility for some bloodline theft incident or a death of a VIP that occurred amongst the chaos.

"And when is my questioning going to take place?"

"Now." They must have scheduled her amongst the first before finding out that she was operating. A few seconds passed before a second ANBU appeared by the doorway.

"I will be escorting you to the questioning site. Please follow me."

Michiko's hand hovered over Gaara's head for a few seconds before she safely severed the connection. She pulled out a storage scroll she used for on-field boosters and took out a very small soldier pill. She took the pill with some water. This way, she wouldn't be completely drained. The pill was only powerful enough to give her enough chakra for a couple of battles, but she won't crash the moment the effects wore off. She stood up and the ANBU took off without another word.


	20. Invasion III

Now that Kuromi was no longer around, rescue efforts were going full force. The Kazekage was using his gold dust to fling rumble out of Suna at the rate of a thousand metric tons a time. Medics were out on the streets performing emergency patching and the genin that had been in the shelters were now out doing extraction work. Michiko paused a couple of times to attach basic life support seals to emergency cases just for show. She had left quite abruptly and she didn't want the Kazekage to think she didn't care about others. Even though she really didn't care.

The questioning site was a set of brown and green tents. Kuromi must have absolutely demolished every single administrative building if they were hosting questionings of foreign ninja in tents. The ANBU escorted Michiko into one of the green tents and left the instant the chuunin behind the desk noticed her.

"Take a seat." The chair seemed free of any compulsion jutsu or seals so Michiko sat. "Name?"

"Nara Michiko. Genin of Konoha's Team 11."

"What is your natural elemental release?"

"Water."

"How many questions were on your exam sheet?"

"3."

"What was the maximum obtainable points for that exam sheet?"

"150."

"What was the point distribution?"

"30, 50, 70."

"What do you think the marking sheet for the first question would look like?"

Questions of such nature continued for around 20 minutes. It was apparent within the two minutes that this questioning was basically part of the chuunin exams. The chuunin asked questions that tested her situational analysis and profiling skills. They probably wanted to cut down on the amount of foreign ninja in the country and the second phase was going to be brutal.

"The questioning is over. You will receive the result at a later date. You will be escorted into another tent to have a seal tattooed onto you."

"Tattoo? That is illegal." Temporary seals were fine, but permanently tattooing seals onto ignorant genin? What was Suna thinking?

"It's part of the chuunin examinations. We need to make sure you do not communicate with your teammates about the questioning."

"Even for the chuunin exams, permanently marking foreign genin with chakra altering substances will not be taken lightly. Ignoring the legality, is your fuuinjutsu department even capable of doing over 100 A-rank seals on pubescent genin within a week amongst protests? Suna's seal work is dubious at best and I don't want it anywhere on me."

"You seem to have misunderstood. It will be a temporary seal. It's possible to remove it, but tampering it is grounds for disqualification."

"So you mean it will just be an ink, not a tattoo."

The Suna chuunin clearly didn't expect to be corrected. "Your profile states that you have fuuinjutsu expertise."

"Yes. An ink is temporary, a tattoo is permanent. It may seem like a small distinction but the implications of the two are very different. I assume it is merely a monitoring seal?" It was a clever little way to keep track of where all the genin were at a time, minimising the foreign risk. Michiko was sure that most jounin sensei were dead or hospitalised, so the genin were the main problem.

"How do you know that?" So the chuunin was unaware of her involvement with Gaara. Expected.

"As long as it's done properly, can be removed at will and doesn't affect a ninja's fighting capacity, requiring foreign ninja to be inked within a country's borders is legal. The vast majority of seals are designed to have direct effects. The only passive branch of fuuinjutsu I have observed to be prevalent in Suna is monitoring and detection seals."

Those types of seals weren't particularly difficult to make, but creating airtight ones required rigorous testing and re-calculations. In other words, monitoring seals she couldn't take advantage of required an actual fuuinjutsu research team to develop with a sizable budget, something Suna seemed reluctant to give. A monitoring seal was a seal that collected data on something and a network of monitoring seals usually sent that data to a master seal. The good ones had a self-updating system, self-detonation system and multiple master seals. Michiko didn't think Suna could maintain such a network and system on a zero budget.

"Then you shouldn't have any problems. Take this and go to one of the brown tents for the inking."

Michiko took the pebble from the chuunin. It was one of two parts that formed a standard matching component. When both parts met, they reacted, creating the ninja version of a lock and key. After examining the pebble, Michiko left the tent. The chuunin patrolling the area tracked her as she walked to the nearest empty brown tent and entered. The bored chuunin behind the desk looked up, the markings on his face signifying that he was from the puppet brigade. He twirled an inked brush in one hand and put down the book he had been reading. Michiko noticed with distaste that the ink on the brush had started to dry and that the ink in the bowl showed signs of being left out for hours, leaving it open for chakra contamination.

"Who are you?"

"Nara Michiko. Genin of Konoha's Team 11."

The chuunin swept the food and books on his desk to the side, picked up a clipboard and placed it in front of him. There was a chair beside the desk and Michiko invited herself to sit down as the chuunin flipped through a couple of pages.

"Where's the identification marker?"

Michiko placed the pebble on the desk. The chuunin placed it into a box where the other pair presumably was and imbued it with chakra. The pebble glowed and the chuunin used the brush to tick Michiko off the list. Michiko watched as the ink came off streaky with two tiny clumps and hoped that that wasn't the brush and ink he was going to use on the monitoring seals.

"I'll start the tattooing now." Michiko struggled not to cringe. 'Tattooing'? They were leaving the inking of foreign adolescent genin who they didn't have the medical histories of to a chuunin who couldn't even use correct terminology and likely had no more than a fundamental knowledge in fuuinjutsu? They didn't have many options and were probably unaware of how blasphemous that was but it still irritated Michiko endlessly.

"Can I see the seal blueprint before you start the inking?"

The bored chuunin seemed surprised. "What?"

"It is within my rights to demand that I be made aware of what you're inking on me."

The chuunin sighed. "Don't be difficult about this. What would it mean to you?"

"I am a fuuinjutsu specialist."

The chuunin gave her a skeptical look. "You? A fuuinjutsu specialist?" So only the chuunin who did the questionings had profiles of the genin. The inkers were treated as secondary and not much thought had been put into their roles.

"Yes. And I find Suna's fuuinjutsu practices to be a little lackluster in comparison to Konoha's. Forgive me if I come across as a little wary."

Michiko could see a light bulb go off in his head. "Are you the kunoichi that's been hanging around the jinchuuriki?"

"What of it?"

"If you tell me more about the jinchuuriki, I'll let you see the blueprint."

He mostly likely just wanted gossip material. Michiko saw no harm in indulging him a little. Gossip material, if manipulated correctly, could have a powerful impact on one's image. "You are obliged to show me either way, but I don't see why I shouldn't tell you. What's your name?"

"Ryosei."

"Well, the first and foremost reason why I approach him was curiosity."

"Curiosity? What was so curious?" The first thing Ryosei suspected would probably be that she was a specialist sent from Konoha to control their jinchuuriki. Time to tweak that a little.

"A jinchuuriki seal is usually airtight. Has to be airtight. But Gaara's was leaking chakra everywhere. I didn't need to be a sensor to notice that leaking mess. Any halfway decent fuuinjutsu specialist could see that with that level of fuuinjutsu skill, messing with bijuu is a stupendously terrible idea. I checked him over and true enough, I was right. Gaara is fascinating in the way a civilian would find a trainwreck fascinating. It's horrible and you shouldn't be standing there doing nothing, but at the same time, you can't look away."

"How bad is it? Is the jinchuuriki going to go berserk?" Gossip material aside, Ryosei obviously wanted to know how secure the jinchuuriki actually was. Suna's government was hardly transparent, after all.

"It really depends. If you were to leave him completely alone and nothing terrible happened to him, Gaara might be fine. For a five-year-old, he's very strong mentally. But in the end, he is a five-year-old. The assassinations, isolation and being labelled as a failure does take a toll on him."

"So how long more is there?"

Michiko shrugged. "If Suna knows what's good for themselves, they'll fix the problem before then. If they increase the assassinations, I say you'd have five more years before Gaara really starts to lose it."

"Sounds like something we should be worried about."

From her distant apathy about the situation and her knowledge on the matter, Ryosei was beginning to suspect what Michiko wanted him to suspect: that Michiko was sent by Konoha to fix their jinchuuriki. Michiko was really annoyed at Suna for basically forbidding her from seeing Gaara outside of the work setting just so that they could claim that they were the ones who trained Gaara and made him great. Many Suna ninja would figure out her role in the sealing work, but they wouldn't think that she had any personal connection to Gaara as there was clearly no way their government would ever give the slightest bit of control over their jinchuuriki towards a foreign kunoichi. The Suna council had heavily 'suggested' that they wanted her to keep a low profile for security reasons and left it at that, expecting her, a 13-year-old genin, to bow to them.

They hadn't gotten the message that Gaara was hers and not theirs. They had surrendered Gaara the moment they labelled him as a failure and now that he could be useful, they suddenly wanted him back. Gaara had accepted her loyalty and returned it. Michiko wasn't going to let Suna walk over her on this matter. But even weakened, Michiko was still going up against one of the five great ninja villages.

So Michiko would let Suna have Gaara. In return for their treatment of Gaara and for trying to take Gaara from her, Suna in its entirety would be hers, Gaara included.

"After this, you'll have much more to worry about. There could be a war with Iwa over this."

"But if Konoha backs us, Iwa will think twice. They won't go in without Kumo and Kumo's more interested in amassing power than using it. Suna doesn't have much to offer and Kumo hasn't found a way past Konoha's wartime barriers yet. If they had, they would have invaded a long time ago."

Michiko shrugged. "If Konoha backs Suna. Sandaime-sama probably will, but the rest are a little iffy."

"One of them is your clan head, right? What do you think he'll do?"

"Shikaku-sama is reasonable. If Suna can offer Konoha something of equal value in return for our aid, he will probably support backing Suna. Can I see the seal blueprint now?"

"If you refuse, you won't be allowed to attend the chuunin exams."

"I am aware of that." She had to interrogate Ian's team during the chuunin exams and she was feeling very frustrated. Business aside, she really didn't want to snap so she needed to let loose during the chuunin exams. Seeing the seal blueprint would help her crack the master seal.

"Fine. I'll get someone to send the seal design over." The chuunin created a bunshin and the bunshin left the tent. "So, you said you were a sensor…"

The two of them waited in the tent as Ryosei bombarded her with questions about fuuinjutsu, the current state of Suna and how the jinchuuriki was. Michiko asked a few token questions that looked like a genin's cheap attempt at information gathering and Ryosei granted her miscellaneous bits of information that she knew or could have figured out herself. Ryosei had a bit of a loose mouth and while he wouldn't give away information about himself or Suna, this type of ninja was useful for spreading word as they were confident in the accuracy of their information and likely had the ear of many ninja friends who took advantage of that to gain information. While Michiko was just stereotyping him based on surface level information, it was still worth feeding him some hints about how Gaara was going to improve and how he shouldn't worry too much about Suna's economy because it 'would be taken care of'.

After fifteen minutes, during which Ryosei had put away the clipboard and started munching on a sandwich, another chuunin came into the tent.

"Here's the seal's blueprint." The chuunin handed her the scroll and Michiko opened it.

The seal was messy with way too many loops and not enough intent to be effective, but it was nevertheless, completely functional and seemed to make do with the lack of budget very well. While subpar by Konoha standards, it was quite good for something that came out of Suna, considering the books they studied from. Due to the fact that this was something designed to be placed on foreign ninja, the team had clearly spent a lot of time making sure that there were no ill effects aside from a little bit of chakra drain. The next most important thing was security of information. But with the lack of budget, the team didn't have enough money or time to create different master seals so they concentrated all their efforts on one, heavily guarded seal. Which meant that if she deconstructed the seal, figured out where the chakra signals were going to, figured out the core design elements and security measures of the master seal as well as figured out a way to crack those security measures without alerting anything, she would have access to the location of all the genin participating in the second phase of the chuunin exams.

"The second phase will take place in a week, right?"

"I don't really know." The chuunin gave Ryosei a mild glare. Suna was obviously supposed to pretend that they had planned to have the second phase a week from now. It was flimsy and the one week was needed for rebuilding, shooing out failed genin and creating a new test as it was likely that the testing site was damaged during the attack. But putting that aside, a week was enough for her to crack this seal in between duties and missions. She would have to work fast in case they changed that and Katashi would definitely suspect that she would be trying to crack the seal, but it should be enough.

The chuunin waited for five minutes as Michiko studied the design before speaking up.

"Are you done?"

"No."

"I need to bring back the blueprint."

"Come back again in an hour." An hour would allow her some time to recover her chakra. Michiko had considered bringing out the beautiful sword she had Takumi get her, but it would raise too many questions.

The chuunin stared at her. "One hour? Why would you need one hour?"

"I need to make sure there are no ill effects. Don't worry, if Suna pays me well enough, I'll point out all the flaws."

"I really need to get going. I have work to do."

"Ryosei can supervise me. It's not like he's been doing much."

Ryosei shrugged. "She's right. Before her, I only did two genin."

"You just want a one hour break. There is work to be done and many people to be rescued."

"I'll be babysitting! That's technically work. Things are only going to get messier from now on so everyone's going to be catching breaks when they can."

The chuunin huffed. "Fine. If anything goes wrong, it's your responsibility. When she's done, make sure to file the blueprint properly."

The chuunin exited the tent and Ryosei went back to munching on his sandwich. Michiko and Ryosei sat in silence as Michiko memorised every millimeter of the seal. To her amusement, she found that this seal would be a lot harder to crack than she initially thought. Not because the security was amazing, but because the seal was so backdated and inefficient that it was hard for her to get in the right mindset and parse through what was unnecessary decoration and what was vital and could alert the master seal of her cracking efforts.

This would either be an interesting learning experience or a very frustrating and long slog. Michiko was praying for the former, but she wasn't holding out hope. At the very least, she would get more used to Suna's mentality when it came to fuuinjutsu, which would help her with Gaara's seals.

Ryosei spoke up after 80 minutes of silence. "So, are you going to be done soon?"

"It's taking longer than I expected, but I'm finishing up."

"Why would you need so long? You're a Konoha fuuinjutsu specialist, right?"

Ryosei clearly suspected that she was going to tamper with the seal. There was pretty much no way that Katashi wouldn't suspect that she would tamper with the seal after hearing that she had spent so long analysing the seal, so Michiko saw no reason to hide it.

Michiko shrugged. "Maybe I'm not as good as I thought I was."

Ryosei looked at her suspiciously. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

"Perhaps."

"So you are!"

"There was no way I would've admitted it if I was doing something wrong and if I said I wasn't up to something, you would still think something was up. If the result is going to be the same either way, then why even ask the question?"

Ryosei stared at her. "You're a bit of a smartass, aren't you?"

"Perhaps."

Ryosei sighed. "Well, you did give me a long lunch break, so I'll give you some friendly career advice. We're not like Konoha. If you mess up in Suna, punishment comes harsh and swift. Mess up bad and your career is over. If you become a problem, your life is over. It doesn't matter how skilled you are or what clan you're from over here. Don't go making things complicated between our villages by doing something illegal, okay? Especially right now."

"Perhaps. But over here in Konoha, nothing is really different. At the core, Konoha and Suna are both ninja villages and at the end of the day, results are what matter to ninja. In Konoha, you are rewarded greatly for both merit and bloodline. All Suna did was do away with the bloodlines but it is still the same system. Even Suna makes its exceptions with people like Gaara."

"But that's just common sense! If we don't want a rampaging bijuu on our hands, we obviously have to treat jinchuuriki differently! And treating people differently just because of blood is stupid. Just because you have the blood, doesn't mean you're any good. You'd just be riding on the accomplishments of other people. Treating people based on what they have actually done is the way to go!"

"Perhaps."

There was a short silence before Ryosei sighed again. "Whatever. So how long more?"

Michiko rolled up the scroll. "I guess I'm just about done. The seal seems to have no major adverse side effects and this seems to be perfectly legal."

"Great. Give me your right hand."

Michiko placed her right hand on the desk. Ryosei unscrewed a bottle of ink and poured some ink into an ink dish. Thankfully, he got out a different, finer brush, dipped it into the ink and started drawing the seal. The brush and ink were of acceptable quality for a seal of this level and was probably manufactured in Wind or River Country. Michiko was putting her money on River and it seemed like Suna only bothered spending money on acceptable ink when a lot was at stake.

It took Ryosei twenty minutes to do what Michiko could've done in twenty seconds. The chuunin didn't seem to have any more experience with the brush than the average ninja and he didn't even seem to understand what he was doing. He used textbook execution, which might've been a good thing in Konoha, but considering the textbooks in Suna, Michiko found his techniques to be dated and backwards. It was to her advantage as she could see the layers being piled up, so she couldn't get too mad. Still, it was irritating.

"It's done." Ryosei took out another clipboard and flipped through a couple of pages. "I'm supposed to ask you to… go to the Head of the Puppet Brigade?"

Probably for sealing work or subtle interrogation. "Very well, I accept."

"Wait, do you even know where to go?"

"I am acquainted with Katashi-san. I will find my way."

Michiko walked out of the tent. Ignoring Ryosei's cries for more gossip, she left to find Katashi.

* * *

Katashi was having a troublesome week.

Firstly, he had had to wake up at 3 am for the three days straight because Nara Michiko decided that sleep was for wimps and being occupied for a week with the chuunin exams meant she had to work from 3 am to 7 pm with only a half an hour break at Akio's insistence. The Kazekage had flat out refused to consider his idea of having a deputy and he would be stuck working with her _for the next ten months_. Minimum. With no backup. Katashi was seriously starting to think that Konoha ninja were walking bundles of willpower and energy, not that he hadn't had prior suspicions. At least Michiko wasn't the type to scream about friendship and youth (Katashi still had nightmares about That Mission). He also found that he rather liked Akio whenever he successfully convinced her that she was a human who had basic human needs like food, water and rest. Sure, all Katashi really did was sit there and hopelessly try to keep up with whatever she was doing, but just watching her go at it with superhuman speeds was mentally taxing. There was no time for training and he still needed to write a report every day, even though he was basically repeating what he said the previous day in fancier words because he really had no idea what she was doing most of the time.

Secondly, he was assigned to stalking Konoha's Team 11 throughout the second phase to better profile Nara Michiko. It was better than sitting in a chair for sixteen hours a day, but he'd still rather be in his comfortable workshop happily tinkering away with puppets. This whole fuuinjutsu and profiling business was way out of his area of expertise, but alas, orders were orders. So Katashi got ready to stalk a team of genin through the desert for five days when-

Thirdly, Suna got invaded by an Iwa genin of all people. The monster completely demolished everything it wanted to and all of Suna's forces couldn't even scratch her. Katashi didn't think that Iwa ordered the attack. If Iwa had, they would've ordered complete destruction of Suna and Konoha at the very least. But Katashi could already play out the messy diplomatic conferences in his head. Hopefully, the situation wouldn't end in a war and Konoha's potential aid would be enough to deter Iwa.

Fourthly, he was assigned to tail Nara Michiko for an indefinite period of time. Apparently, something was wrong with the seal and the jinchuuriki could now contact the bijuu. She had also acted strangely after talking to the invader during the chuunin exams, so he was to keep an eye on her in case she was under a genjutsu. So he was basically supposed to do whatever he did before, but ten times better. The Suna council weren't going to excuse him if he couldn't give an amazingly comprehensive report, nevermind that he wasn't actually capable of producing such a report. No one in Suna was, for that matter.

Fifthly, Nara Michiko showed up two hours late.

"Where were you?"

Michiko closed the door behind her, activating the barriers in place. They were in the fuuinjutsu R&D room, so she couldn't have gotten lost. "I was examining the monitoring seal. I have concerns as to the safety of Suna's fuuinjutsu."

That didn't explain why she took a whole two hours, maybe an hour at shortest. Michiko should've been able to conclude that the seal wasn't harmful in fifteen minutes. Katashi would wager his right hand that she was up to something. Great. Just another thing to look out for. The master seal for the monitoring seal was being watched by a group of chuunin at all times, but Katashi didn't think that that was enough to stop Michiko if she tried. She didn't seem like the type to endanger village relations just for a chuunin exam, but she also seemed confident in her abilities.

"And how was it?"

"Very amusing. Almost cute, even. As a show of goodwill, I might even clue Suna in onto its flaws." So she planned to propose a better seal if she was caught. Katashi placed a 70% chance on Suna accepting the offer. If Suna didn't accept, then she probably had a backup plan. Michiko seemed to be a very careful kunoichi, so it was doubtful that she would be caught in the act in the first place.

"We could go to war."

"What do you think the probability is?"

"I'd say 20%, 5% on a world war."

"The Iwa daimyo is coming to the chuunin exams, right?"

"What of it?"

"The Iwa daimyo is a very careful man. He plays safe and doesn't take risks unless he is certain it will pay off. Iwa has been quiet lately mainly because of the daimyo's funding coming with more strings. This applies doubly to ninja matters which he doesn't seem to grasp fully, given his policies. After Konoha's massive victory during the third world war, he's become notably more hesitant to tangle with ninja. If Konoha makes a strong showing against Iwa-nin in this exam, he'll almost certainly disapprove a war and without funding, Kumo won't see a point in engaging in a potential world war and Iwa wouldn't want to take on Konoha and Suna without Kumo or funding."

"But it's just a showing of genin. Would that really stop the daimyo?"

"The daimyo doesn't really seem in touch with ninja matters. Most daimyos buy into the whole 'chuunin exams being a show of power' story the ninja villages feed them so that they'll fund it, come to watch and gamble away exorbitant amounts of money. They don't seem to realise it's mostly for ninja to get a world debut and for enemy villages to do profiling. Do you think the Iwa daimyo would think contrary?"

Katashi wasn't into politics and he didn't care much about the civilian side of things. He certainly wasn't going to spend hours going through Iwa's policies and profiling their daimyo when he could be creating new puppets or spreading his craft. But he wasn't about to admit that to a subordinate and Katashi found the possibility of Michiko spending weeks reading every single law in Iwa and profiling every one of their important government officials far too likely to dismiss her word.

"It can't hurt to try, I suppose."

"What's your plan?"

"Nothing special. I hope Suna doesn't mind if none of their genin graduate this chuunin exam."

"If your plan bears fruit, not even the Suna council can complain about a couple of genin being promoted six months later." At least Katashi hoped they wouldn't complain. The Suna council could be very pedantic when they wanted to be.

"Let's hope that is the case. So what am I supposed to do?"

"What is wrong with the jinchuuriki's seal?"

Michiko stared at him weirdly before her expression morphed into one of extreme frustration once again.

"Was that what the ANBU told you?"

"The ANBU told me that the bijuu was able to contact the jinchuuriki and that the jinchuuriki developed abnormal abilities. He also stated that the jinchuuriki's mental state has been compromised and that you felt the need to do emergency brain surgery."

"And I supposed he left out the part where I said that that was a good thing?"

"The ANBU said that there could be benefits, but that there was great risk involved and that you were uncertain about the situation."

Michiko let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl. "From his perspective, perhaps. In reality, I think that there is little risk. The bijuu has been trying its hardest to corrupt Gaara since he was born. A few days of conversation isn't going to suddenly turn Gaara into a bloodthirsty monster. Through extensive research, I am certain that cooperating with the bijuu yields much more results than trying to chain it down."

Katashi hadn't thought that Michiko was the soft type. Then again, she was from Konoha. "But a bijuu is just a different form of chakra. It has no physical brain or even mind chakra. How would its cooperation do anything?"

Michiko definitely growled this time. "Do you even read my reports?"

"Of course." Not really. Michiko's reports were like cyphers. Even though she dictated her reports to Akio throughout the day, Katashi had no idea what she was talking about half the time due to all the jargon and shorthand she used. He had already ordered books from Konoha about fuuinjutsu and the ANBU medic taught him some medical jargon, but it was mostly nonsense to him. Worst of all, the Kazekage had taken a look at the report and asked him to translate. Katashi was forced to skip over parts of the report he didn't understand and hope the Kazekage didn't notice. Failure and incompetence weren't taken lightly in Suna.

Michiko gave him a look that told him he wasn't fooling her.

"Someone's fuuinjutsu can tell you a lot about them. Not just how careful or skilled they are, but their attitude towards life and politics as well. The entire basis of Gaara's seal was wrong. At first glance, the seal treats the bijuu as if it were simply chakra. It attempts to allow for the randomness of chakra and its basic chakra syncing mechanisms reflect that as it tries to sync up Gaara's chakra with bijuu chakra. But strangely enough, it was later modified to take into account the bijuu's rampages and emotional bouts. The way it went about it was primitive, but it seemed to acknowledge that the bijuu had emotions and could make the conscious decision to rebel. From here on out, it would've been logical to assume that the bijuu had a mind of its own and reconfigure all the seals. But this didn't happen. You proceeded with the assumption that bijuu was chakra, yet many of the seals had elements that took into account a living creature's will.

"That was when I realised you had no idea what you were doing. Looking through your notes and reading the books you studied from reflected that. The only fuuinjutsu you are capable of is non-organic fuuinjutsu. The storage scrolls you carry about are well over market quality and the work you do with puppets are oddly beautiful. That's why all but the mind seals had bases meant for non-living things. To you, the calculations that take into account daily wear and natural growth are mere accessories to the core foundations of non-organic matrixes. You hadn't realised that the bijuu was a living creature. You had just figured out through trial and error that some elements worked better and those elements just happened to be meant for living organisms. You flipped through the books, took everything that could kind of fit and might do the job and mixed them up with little consideration as to how they all go together. In non-organic fuuinjutsu more almost always means better and there is little consequences for piling too many things on top of each other, so you presumed it would be the same. There was very little care put into Gaara's seal, which contrasts with the amount of work you put into your puppets.

"You knew you couldn't do a good job so you gave up from the start. You love Suna, you love your home but you have a distaste towards its government. You love puppets and fuuinjutsu was just a means to advance your craft. You made a beeline towards your goal without much thought towards the consequences. Today, you find yourself as the Head of the Puppet Brigade. You have a mountain of work and responsibilities to be fulfilled as a result of your skills. Tell me, how do you feel about that?"

"... Who are you?"

Michiko gave a gentle smile so genuine yet so wrong that Katashi had to blink twice.

"You should know by now that I'm not a mere ANBU. I am much, much worse."

At that point, Katashi realised something very clearly.

"You truly are a really, _really_ troublesome kunoichi."

Katashi felt some of his tension ooze out as Michiko's gentle smile turned saccharine sweet. Unfortunately, this small relief was shattered by Michiko's following sentence.

"Let's get down to business. I'm all for running on coffee for the next week or so."

Katashi had nothing against Nara Michiko personally, but she was turning out to be a complete nightmare to work with.


	21. Bloody Colours I

The week following the first phase was chaotic. The chuunin exams had been postponed and Itachi had spent the past week doing excavation and supplying trips. Akio was in the same boat as him and Michiko switched between helping in the hospital and vanishing off for presumably jinchuuriki-related business.

Konoha agreed to help and sent medic nin and medical equipment to Suna. Water jutsu users were next and the Akimichi and other clans in the food business promised to donate some food. Overnight, Suna's economy collapsed as many civilians were killed and businesses were demolished. Shelters were flooded and there were talks of Konoha taking some of them as citizens. Konoha wanted skilled citizens as there was a dip in population from the Kyuubi attack and they already had too many orphans. But Suna needed skilled workers to boost its economy.

Today was the day of the second phase and Team 11 was gathered in the middle of the desert. Even though it was fairly cool, the sun was unrelenting and Itachi had slathered himself with sunscreen. As he had made the mistake of not applying sunscreen under his clothes, his lower left leg had been completely sunburned after his pants got torn. He had more sunscreen than water and was utterly regretting that he had ignored his mother's advice and dismissed her special sunblock as unnecessary.

The only thing around them was sand dunes and a giant wall surrounding what was presumably going to be the testing site. There was a huge gate and three chuunin stood guard in front. Beside the gate was a small temporary booth that facilitated paperwork and seemed to double as a break room for the guards. Out of the 51 teams that had entered the chuunin exams, only 16 remained.

"The second phase of the chuunin examinations will be held within this field. Your goal is to find a golden scroll and bring it to the group of chuunin on the other side of the field. You have three days to accomplish this task. After signing the waiver indicating that you accept the risk of death, you will be allowed into the desert team by team with a one-hour interval. The order of your entrance will be determined by your score in the first phase and the highest scoring team will enter first. Any questions?" The proctor waited for half a second. "Line up at the booth to collect and sign a waiver. The exam will start at 7 am sharp."

A genin raised his hand. "Erm… I have a question? How would we know which teams go first?"

"I'll call your team's name when it's your turn. Any more questions?" The proctor stared down at them, daring them to ask another question. No one asked anything and a silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Michiko walked briskly towards the booth and everyone simultaneously realised that they were supposed to do the same and most of them started queuing up.

Team 11 were amongst the first to return their waivers and they automatically reconvened some distance from the group.

"What did you do, Michiko-hime?" The booth was a place where all competition was certain to pass through. Michiko's wariness of public areas was probably a direct result of her tendency to booby trap them.

Michiko smirked. "I'll tell you later."

Akio frowned at the exchange, but he had gotten used to not understanding things and knew to wait until an appropriate time to ask instead of demanding an explanation and causing a scene. Itachi still couldn't understand why Michiko would want someone so oblivious as an assistant, but it was not his place and he pushed his curiosity away.

It wasn't long before all the paperwork was signed and everyone gathered before the jounin proctor.

The jounin stared at his watch until it was 6:59 am. "The Second Phase of the Chuunin Examination will start in a minute. First up is Konoha's Team 11." Not a surprise. Itachi had gotten the hardest possible paper with a maximum score of 150 and had completed and used genjutsu to pass another 150 point paper to Akio. Itachi had no doubt that Michiko had also completed a 150 point paper.

Team 11 walked to the gate and waited for 7 am to come before one of the chuunin guards opened the gate. They walked into the desert with Michiko in the lead and the gates slammed behind them.

"Michiko-hime, are we going to trap the gates?"

Michiko smirked. "No. We'll sent up camp and then find the scroll. We'll discuss further plans when we've arrived."

"Understood."

"Fine."

Michiko got down on one knee. She placed her left hand on the ground and made the seal of confrontation with the other. A gentle pulse of chakra could be felt as Michiko did an in-depth scan of the area. Michiko frowned and three successive chakra pulses, each stronger than the last, were felt.

After fifteen seconds, Michiko stood up and reported her findings. "We have our work cut out for us. The field is pretty big. Normally, I'd expect a one-week time limit for a chuunin team, at the very least, five days. There are 16 teams and a three-day limit. The last team will be short of 16 hours and will almost certainly fail. Not to mention that there are only three locations with notable chakra emissions in my range, though I expect that there are more outside of my range and some that are hidden from my sensing."

Akio looked shocked. "Eh? Outside of your range? But I thought you had a pretty large range. You're a B-class sensor, right?"

"I'm a Yin-type. If you want to specialise in sensing, having an extreme inclination towards Yin or Yang is important because the type of sensing you go into will depend on your chakra type. Yang-types have a much broader reach and are better at accurately keeping track of motions once they've locked onto a target, making them more suited for direct combat. Yin-types are more sensitive and are more suited for deciphering intricate traps and deconstructing jutsu. I may be a mid B-class, but a barely C-class Yang-type could beat me in terms of range. You should have learned this in the Academy."

Akio did a frown/pout/glare and looked away. "Well, yeah, but I didn't realise it was a class and a half difference. Besides, no one ever uses anything they learn from the Academy. Who does velocity equations or probability calculations when seeing an opponent throw kunai?"

Itachi blinked. Ninja _didn't_ do trajectory predictions or statistical analysis of their opponents? "I do."

Akio stared at him. His mouth opened and shut a few times before words finally left his mouth. "Well, you're the freak who thought training 14 hours a day and being able to throw 100 shuriken perfectly in all directions within five seconds was normal. I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore."

Michiko gave an amused smirk. "I do that too. Does that mean I'm a freak?"

"What? Of course not! You're not a freak! You're just special and really smart!"

"But I think training 16 hours a day is perfectly normal. And does that mean Itachi's really smart as well?" Why was Michiko provoking Akio? What could that possibly aid?

Surprisingly, Akio seemed more embarrassed than angry. "That's different! Itachi's only good at reading scrolls and reciting the Ninja Code. You have the smarts that actually matter and you're also socially aware, unlike that idiot. You know that training 16 hours a day isn't normal, it's just normal for you, whereas the bastard actually thought everyone was as weird as him."

Michiko's smirk widened. "I'm just teasing. Back to the matter at hand, I think I've found a good spot to camp. Let's go."

It took Team 11 twenty minutes to get to the camping spot. At first glance, this particular patch of sand and rock was no different from any other. But the air felt thicker, suggesting that the chakra saturation in the area was more suited for putting up barriers. Maybe there was a geological advantage and a scroll location was nearby, hence the extra chakra emissions.

"We don't have much time before the second team comes. I'll set up a 500-meter barrier."

"That's a lot smaller than usual." Akio commented.

"I'm still tweaking the barrier to Suna's chakra atmosphere. Due to the lack of living organisms, there is very little chakra to draw from the surroundings. Not to mention how unstable the sand is and how unsuited it is for sturdy and long-standing barriers. It's almost as hard as creating underwater chakra structures. The barrier's quality is going to be a half class lower even with the scale down so be careful."

"Understood." Both Itachi and Akio rang out their affirmations in unison. Akio was Michiko's fuuinjutsu assistant. Michiko had probably drilled everything necessary into Akio and Akio probably knew more about the subject than Itachi. Despite knowing this, Itachi found himself somewhat surprised when Akio didn't ask what a half class difference meant.

After that, it was standard routine. Setting traps, scouting the area and setting up the camp. There were some adjustments due to their environment, but Itachi had read as much as he could about how to adapt to Suna and how to set traps. It didn't take long before they reconvened at the center of the base. Now that Michiko had set up privacy barriers, they could discuss the plan.

"What is the plan, Michiko-hime?"

"I've hacked into the master seal that contains information on the whereabouts of all the genin at any one time."

Akio's expression shifted between shock, exasperation and resignation within two seconds before settling on a mixture of the three. "But isn't that illegal?"

Michiko shrugged. "Wouldn't be my first time. I don't want to access it too often just in case and I'm sure they suspect something, but after we've got a scroll, we'll start thinning the herd ourselves. We'll be able to hunt down groups with ease if they aren't going to come to us. I've set the barrier to send pulses of chakra and reflect a lot of light. The average genin would be able to figure out our location." It still didn't really line up. Michiko should've trapped the gate as backup even she had complete access to the master seal. There was something else going on and Itachi got the feeling that it was more than just teaching Akio about slaughter.

Akio looked surprised as well, but for a completely different reason. "But I thought you already got rid of the important competitors."

"Not all of them. If only the chumps make it into the final round, not only would it look suspicious, but our victories wouldn't be all that impressive. I let the ones we have information on and those whose abilities aren't a bad matchup to ours slip through. There were two Iwa teams. Kuromoto Kuromi's and another one estimated to be borderline B-class. Kuromoto Kuromi's team is under investigation and thus isn't allowed to participate, but the other ones should make it through. Generally, 9-12 genin is the ideal size for a tournament match. I plan to let the Iwa team, the kenjutsu Kiri team and perhaps another Konoha team pass if there is a Konoha team that meets my standards." Michiko got down on one knee and did the sensing pose again. "The two of you should head to the possible locations now."

"But what about you?" Akio questioned.

"The next team should be entering soon. I'll see if I can attract them to our base." Michiko was moving much faster than normal. Itachi had expected her to wait for a day or so before acting.

"Where are we to head to?" Itachi asked.

"The nearest one is a kilometer away at around 94 degrees. The next one is 3 kilometers away at 186-187 degrees. Then its 7 kilometers at 74-75 degrees, 10 kilometers at 120-122 degrees and 15 kilometers at 17-20 degrees. Check every location and obtain all the scrolls if possible. Make sure to leave signs that it was our team that took the scrolls. If you are not back by the end of the day, I will come looking for you. A large part of the locations seem to be underground, so use chakra flares rather than light flares if you are in trouble."

"Understood. Akio-san and I will head out immediately."

Without further ado, Itachi started sprinting towards the east and Akio followed behind.

* * *

Ian was really fed up with this whole situation. He had never liked Suna. There was too little water and the effect of his team's water jutsu were halved at best without a steady supply. They had to wait for twelve hours in the heat before they were allowed onto the battlefield. Their jounin sensei was down and barely hanging on. Kiri's medical team was even shitter than Suna's and Suna was too busy taking care of their own to bother with the 'Kiri barbarians'. Suimi had spent the whole trip bitching about the heat and worrying about her skin and Umihiko was his usual silent self.

But if there was one thing that bound their team together, it was bloodlust, plain and simple. They were all adrenaline junkies through and through. Even Umihiko got wild and gave into the insanity when the chips were down and there were sheep to be slaughtered.

So when a wave of chakra spread across the battlefield, all of them instantly recognised and accepted the challenge.

With a glance, all of Team 5 confirmed that the others were on the same page before they sprinted straight towards the signal, with Ian and Suimi in the front and Umihiko tailing behind.

"What do you think about the situation, Umihiko?" Suimi asked.

"Nara kunoichi. Tough."

Suimi flashed a wild grin before she could cover it up. "Ah, the one with the genius Uchiha and that stupid, elitist, sexist piece-of-shit Uchiha that needs to have his guts splattered across the desert? Should be a fun fight."

Umihiko's face was as blank as usual. "Misogynist yours. Kid solo player. Girl support type. Split them up. Girl smart strategist. Don't give time. Kid low chakra. Draw out battle." After Umihiko figured out that adding a couple extra words would save him the trouble of repeating himself, his communication skills drastically improved. Ian had been put off by it at first, but after realising that most Kiri-nin were rich kids who only knew how to trash talk, Ian had come to appreciate Umihiko's minimalistic style.

"I'll take the kid then, you can take the girl." Ian said. Umihiko nodded in response.

Suimi struggled to control her grin. "It's settled then! After I kill the little shitstain, I'll help one of you out. We'll show those privileged Konoha brats not to look down on us."

Ian glared at her. "You're a clan kid. You've hardly led a tough life."

Suimi snorted. "Yeah right. Do you seriously think clan kids have it peachy? I'm from one of the lower branches and I get attacked by every slummie trying to show off how pathetic they are."

"You were eating a bento that cost more money than they'll ever be worth. You even wore a ceremonial kimono with a shit ton of gold and sparkling jewellery. What did you expect?"

"So? They still shouldn't have attacked me. It's not my job to make sure everyone is happy and well fed."

"Why do you even bother fighting with us?"

Suimi sighed dreamily. "Because Kaichi-sama has the most amazing ass I've ever seen. He's just the cutest thing ever and I want to pinch his cheeks so bad!"

"Liar."

Suimi's dazed smile widened. "You're right. It's really because he looks stunningly gorgeous with a sword. When we invaded the Eastern Slums, he took out the leadership almost single-handedly with hardly any chakra at all! It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, I tell you."

"Stop lying, clan cunt."

Suimi snorted. "Whatever. You should've been there instead of taking your time with the eastern slummies." That stupid, stuck-up, clan cunt. Ian hated Suimi's guts, but Kaichi had chosen her, had chosen them, for a reason.

"I'd like to see you take out three of the eastern gang leaders in under ten minutes."

Suimi rolled her eyes. "Please, they probably didn't even know what chakra was. I could've taken them in under ten seconds."

"Well, you can-"

"Stop. Now." Umihiko interrupted as he stopped running. The fact that Umihiko had chosen to use two whole words instead of a hand signal had Ian and Suimi stopping in their tracks instantly.

"What is it, Umihiko?" asked Suimi.

"Smell blood." Umihiko could smell the chakra emitted by battle even though they were still two kilometers away? Unless Umihiko had suddenly improved by two whole classes, there had to be a body count of at least a dozen people.

"What's your analysis?" Ian asked. Umihiko closed his eyes as he did the seal of confrontation and sniffed a couple times. His eyes snapped open.

"She's already here."

The air in front of them shimmered, revealing the Nara kunoichi in her bloody glory. She had abandoned her shirt and wore bloody and sweaty chest bindings. Dried blood caked her trousers while fresh blood dripped down her left arm. Ian wasn't sure if the blood was hers or not. She didn't seem to have taken much damage and her trousers had more sand and dirt than rips. Her long black hair had fallen out of its bun and fell around her face in messy tangles. Even though she panted heavily, her black eyes were alight with passion and her bloodthirsty grin was reminiscent of those worn during the Kiri Slum Wars. But what Ian was most drawn too was the sword in her right arm. With that craftsmanship, it looked like a traditional Kiri-style sword with its double-edged blade, long grip and what seemed to be a trademark hilt that Ian had never seen before.

"As expected of the Asaka clan. My imperfect barrier isn't enough to fool you. I really do need to buckle down and get the adjustments right." The Konoha kunoichi's speech was enough to snap the Kiri team into action, drawing their swords and readying for combat.

"What do you want?" Suimi demanded.

"I want you to pass a message to Kaichi for me." So she had overheard them talking. Ian had told Suimi time and time again that mentioning Kaichi was a bad idea. Now retreating wasn't an option.

"What business do you have with Kaichi-sama?" Suimi snapped.

"Tell Kaichi that Akua is here as well." She knew about Akua as well? How? That was impossible! Kaichi often spoke about Akua as a fallen sister-in-arms who greatly inspired him, but only those who had been inducted should know about her.

"How do you know about Akua?" Ian demanded.

The Nara's grin widened impossibly. "Ah, so Kaichi talks about me? How sweet of him. Did he also tell you I can beat him in kenjutsu?" What? That was impo-

The Nara charged at him and Ian blocked her sword with his own. Suimi rushed in and attempted to stab the Nara while Umihiko jumped back and started rushing through the signs of a water jutsu. The Nara quickly disengaged and ducked under Suimi's sword swing. Ian attempted to stab the Nara, but Suimi overreached and Ian was forced to back off before he stabbed Suimi.

Umihiko completed his ninjutsu and a linear wave of water rushed towards the Nara. The Nara grinned and didn't bother to dodge. The wave of water hit the Nara's shadow before it hit her and she flooded the wave of water with her shadows. Umihiko abandoned the jutsu before her shadows could reach him. While this was happening, Suimi had started on an Ice jutsu and Ian tried attacking her from behind with his sword. The Nara half-turned and blocked his sword strike. They engaged in a short exchange of blows interspersed with Suimi's ice attacks and Umihiko's water attacks.

No matter how much they tried, they couldn't hit her. She dodged by a hair and retaliated before they could breathe. Umihiko and Suimi did a combo attack with Suimi creating a sharp gust of icy wind and Umihiko following up with a basic water bomb jutsu. The Nara's right hand and sword lit up as she activated a fuuinjutsu embedded in the sword. Ian was pushed back as he attempted to block her swing. Two blindingly quick hand seals and the Nara summoned a wall of water from the remnants of Umihiko and Suimi's attacks. The initial icy wind froze the wall of water and the Nara jumped back as some of the water was pushed back and frozen by the wind, forcing her to dodge the spikes. Next came the mini tornado of icy cold water that froze halfway. The Nara dodged the big frozen icicles with easy, but the little blobs of water that had broken off from the main body froze quicker and charged at her faster. The Nara blocked them all with her sword. Ian stayed out of the way and got ready to launch another water jutsu. Before the Nara blocked the last of the icicles, Suimi went in with a sword strike and the Nara dodged again.

It was immediately apparent that the Nara wasn't trying to kill them, despite the ample amount of bloodlust she was leaking. What stood out the most was her minimal and efficient style. She dodged sword strikes with barely any margin, attacked with just enough force and all fancy movements were eliminated. That was the core of Kaichi's style. The way he could walk into battle with a sure grin, predict all his opponents moves on almost no information and walk out giving the impression that it took no effort and that the battle had been won before it had started. The more Ian thought about it, the more the similarities between the Nara and Kaichi sunk in. The way she had immediately commanded the attention of everyone in the room. The way her battle driven passion contrasted with her usual calm mask. The way she gave the impression that she was untouchable just by the way she dodged. It was all a part of Kaichi's style.

"Who are you?" Suimi demanded. The Nara retreated to a safe distance, panting heavily as the feral grin on her face faded slightly.

"For now, I am Nara Michiko, but I think I'll be picking up the name Akua again. I'll be sending someone to meet Kaichi at the place where it all started. Pass the message on to Kaichi."

"You can't be Akua! Kaichi mentioned Akua before you were even born!" Ian declared.

Michiko's grin slid into a smirk. "Kaichi's situation can be described as impossible as well. Unfortunately, I'm at my limit. Fighting with taijutsu against three tokujou, even if only for five minutes, is kind of tiring."

"Go on and you lose." Umihiko stated. "What now?"

"My message has been delivered. As much as I enjoyed our brief battle, I'll have to withdraw. I have a pesky Suna jounin on my tail. After I exit lockdown mode, try not to mention Kaichi. I doubt Suna can do anything about it, but try not to endanger Kaichi's revolution." Lockdown Mode? What did she mean?

Umihiko sniffed the air. "Gone."

"What do you mean?" asked Ian.

Michiko smirk took an amused edge. "Isolated spaces and chakra locks happen to be a speciality of mine."

Umihiko's body tensed. "Trap barrier."

Michiko gave an innocent and gleeful smile that could not have looked more out of place against the drying blood splattered all over her and the trace amounts of potent bloodlust she still emitted. "Bingo! As sharp as ever, Umihiko. My boys should be back soon. I'll have to find some fresh genin to kill. I bid you good luck and farewell."

Michiko turned her back to them and took off.

"Oh no, you don't!" Suimi yelled as she made to pursue Michiko.

"Don't." Suimi paused at Umihiko's word.

"What? Why? She knows about-" Both Ian and Umihiko gave their versions of a glare.

"Space barrier B-rank. Trap B-rank. Barrier is stagnant structure. Trap is opposite. Combining is A-rank."

Suimi growled in frustration. "So? Even if she's jounin-level, there are three of us! She's tired right now! We should use that opportunity!

"She support type. Body condition, barely B-rank. Kenjutsu, mid A-rank."

"So taijutsu is her weakest point?" Suimi asked.

"No." Ian said. "What's weird is that there is a class and a half difference between her body condition and her skill level. It makes no sense that she would invest so much time into raising her kenjutsu skills to jounin level if she's not specialising in taijutsu."

"And what does that mean?!" Suimi yelled in frustration. She was always so slow. This was why Ian hated it when she acted like hot shit.

"There's a possibility that the body isn't hers."

"Wait, so you mean- that what she said-"

"Yeah. What do you think, Umihiko?"

Umihiko nodded gravely. "Tell Kaichi."


	22. Bloody Colours II

Michiko sat on her combat chair as she flipped through one of Suna's fuuinjutsu scrolls. Her handcrafted chair was truly a beauty. The moment she had enough money, she carved the chair out of the best Hashi wood she could afford and imbedded it with as many barriers, traps and tricks as she could. The inside of the chair was hollow and mainly acted as a chakra storage compartment, but she could put blocks of wood with fuuinjutsu carved onto it inside of the chair as well. Every part of the chair; the backrest, the seat, the armrest, the legs, etc., were split into multiple detachable parts so that she could change the fuuinjutsu on them when they became outdated without having to redo the whole chair. To the average civilian, it would seem like a weirdly shaped wooden chair with oddly intricate designs, but the average ninja would see it as the monstrous chakra force that it was.

Unfortunately for them, the simpletons in front of her were far from average.

"Surrender and hand over your scroll!" Even though she had moved the bodies under a barrier that stored them on a different spatial plane, she had left the huge puddles of blood on the sand and had merely put on a hooded cloak to hide her bloody clothing. The Kumo-nin should be experienced enough to know what that meant. She had expected more from Kumo's Team 5.

Michiko continued reading. "Why do you think you didn't encounter any traps even though we've set up a rather conspicuous camp?"

"Because Konoha's Team 11 are a bunch of arrogant assholes who think they can piss everyone off and get away with it!" Manuge snapped. Beside him, the kunoichi was eyeing Michiko warily and Shinkei looked vaguely uncomfortable and bored.

Michiko gave a pleasant smile but didn't bother looking up. "As far as ignorant labelling goes, I guess 'arrogant assholes' describes us fairly well. Even though I much prefer the description 'sociopathic lunatics who regularly engage in objectively unbeneficial rampages and pyromaniacal activities for no greater reason other than amusement', I'll settle for being labelled with 'arrogant'."

Manuge didn't seem to know how to react as he stared at Michiko with a mix of surprise, suspicion and bewilderment.

Nozomi sighed. "Let's go, Manuge."

"What? Why?!"

"This stinks of a trap. The Nara may be a support-type, but you saw her at the tower, didn't you? I get the feeling that she's not as green as she looks. The Nara are known for their achievements in strategy rather than combat. Even if her individual strength is lacking, the way she took control of the situation at the tower clearly shows that at the very least, she knows how to use people. And those people are conspicuously missing. I may not sense anyone around, but we're going up against two Uchiha and I'm sure even you know who the Uchiha are. We may not have data on them, but stereotyping works pretty well for Konoha clan ninja. The chibi looks sketchy and I've heard rumours about the Uchiha clan heir."

Manuge glared. "But we can still win! At the very least, we have to beat up the older Uchiha for making my little sister cry!"

Shinkei spoke up. "Well, your sister is cute and all, but I'm not risking my life over-"

"What do you mean my sister is cute?! Are you one of those stupid fanboys?! If you are, I'll kill you right here!" Michiko's eye twitched. Were they seriously having a conversation with an enemy in front of them? Michiko wasn't sure whether it was an insult to her fighting capacity or a compliment towards her image crafting abilities.

Shinkei started panicking. "Wh-What? N-no! Of course not! I-"

"You're stuttering! That's because you have something to hide, isn't it? You're one of the fanboys who stalk my little sister! I knew I couldn't trust you!"

Shinkei started hyperventilating. Nozomi sighed and looked as exasperated as Michiko was. Michiko rather liked the girl. Maybe she would let them live after all. Unfortunately, Michiko could sense that Itachi and Akio were almost done and heading her way. Michiko knew from experience that seeing the aftermath of one of her massacres didn't have as much impact as seeing her on rampage so she'd show the two of them a shred of her true colours. Michiko was fairly sure that Itachi would accept her, but she was unsure as to how Akio would react to his image of her being shattered. However, she couldn't keep the image up forever and she hoped that Akio would be able to let go of his crush before it got too deep. Love was a dangerously finicky thing and Michiko could see that Akio's feelings were moving from a silly crush to an obsession headed for the realm of no return.

Michiko sent a pulse of chakra to the storage seal inked onto her inner right wrist. Her sword fell swiftly into her right hand. The Kumo-nin tensed and got into their combat stances, something they should've done already.

"Regretful though it may be, Itachi and Akio are approaching us pretty soon. I'm aiming to kill the three of you just as they arrive. Please stay alive for the next five minutes or so."

With that said, Michiko continued reading the scroll with her left hand while gripping the sword with her right and resting the tip in the sand.

Manuge looked confused again. "You aren't going to attack us with the sword?"

"No. I just got off an intense swordfight with a team of Kiri-nin fifteen minutes ago. I'm a little tired and would rather not waste energy. I'll use my sword when the time comes to kill you."

Manuge growled "We'll make you regret looking down on us! Lightning Release: Lightning Spear!" A burst of lightning shaped into a spear emerged from his hands. Michiko activated the absorption components of one of the barriers on her chair and the lightning spear slammed against it, its energy absorbed by the barrier.

Michiko continued reading her scroll like nothing happened. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you'll first have to defeat my combat chair."

Confusion set in again. "Combat chair?"

"Yes. Anyone who can't defeat my chair can't possibly defeat me. In fact, I don't think anyone in this exam can defeat my chair save for Itachi and perhaps Asaka Umihiko."

At this point, Nozomi was starting to look annoyed. "Now I'm starting to get irritated. You're underestimating us! We have five minutes before the two Uchiha come back. Let's kick her ass!"

Shinkei gulped fearfully while Manuge grinned. "I knew you'd come around! Lightning Release: Lightning Spear!"

Michiko sighed as Nozomi threw a lightning jutsu as well. Both jutsu were absorbed by the barrier. Michiko was really disappointed by her opponents having expected at least one of them to have developed ninja common sense. But lightning chakra was very good for filling up chakra storages, so Michiko wasn't complaining.

The trio continued to throw jutsu around for a minute or so before deciding to have a strategy meeting right in front of her.

"This isn't working!" Manuge yelled as he threw another shuriken at the barrier. It rebounded and Shinkei dodged it with a yelp.

"Erm, maybe we should give up-"

"No! We'll be proving her right! You know some fuuinjutsu, right? Hurry up and break the barrier!" Michiko was starting to get annoyed at the loudmouth. She hated it when people treated fuuinjutsu specialists like magicians. The higher ups always pushed unreasonable demands onto her while acting superior to her and displaying their ignorance on the subject.

"E-eh?! But that's impossible! This kind of barrier is A-class! The only thing we can do is wait for it to run out of chakra! She's been turning the barrier on and off to save chakra. If she's well prepared, the barrier will probably last for the entire second phase."

"Tsk. You really are useless, aren't you? What do we do now?"

Nozomi frowned. "At this rate, we'll just be wasting chakra. We either withdraw or go after the other two teammates, kick their asses, then hold them hostage."

"H-hostages? But-"

"Obviously we're going for the second one! Let's go!"

Manuge sprinted off. Michiko activated the protective barrier she had laid on the campsite and the loudmouth slammed right into it.

"What the fuck!"

Michiko sighed again. There was a reason why the sigh and facepalm were the most common actions performed by the Nara. "As I said, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but did you really think I'd let you off that easily?" Michiko put away the scroll she had been reading and tapped her left wrist on the armrest. She activated the storage seal on her left wrist and the chair was sealed. "The past few minutes were enough for me to see that all of you are weaker than Akio. Killing you off just as they arrive should be easy."

Manuge charged straight at her with a kunai and an impassioned cry. Michiko swiftly readied her sword, leapt to the side and severed his arm with ease. Before he could process what had happened, Michiko had already distanced herself.

Manuge stared at the arm on the sand in shock and dropped his kunai. He fumbled around his stump and started screaming in pain as the realisation of what just happened started to sink in. Both of his teammates were frozen with horror as they stared at the blood dripping down her sword.

Michiko frowned. Having to clean off the blood on her sword every time she fought was always a pain. She'd have to teach Akio how to do sword maintenance. But for now, she was feeling really irritated at the idiot lying on the sand.

"After all that talk, is that all you have? What kind of ninja drops their weapon in front of their enemy? Are you asking to be killed? Hurry up and get up." The idiot continued screaming and even _curled up into a ball_ as he clutched his stump. In front of the enemy! Was he suicidal? "Are you even listening? Quit screaming and get up!"

Nozomi glared at Michiko. "You cut his arm off! He'll never be a ninja now! What did you expect!"

Michiko sighed. "I suppose you're right. But since you're Kumo-nin attending a Suna exam, I expected the three of you to be a bit more seasoned." Michiko pointed her sword at the screaming idiot. "That right there is a genin's reaction, not a chuunin's reaction. Even then, how old is he? 15? 16? At that age, his pain tolerance should be high enough and he shouldn't be crying over a severed arm. You're in the wrong place. You shouldn't be taking this chuunin exam. If you had waited another year or two, this idiot wouldn't be dying. But I guess the one Kumo wanted to show off wasn't him, am I right?"

Michiko removed her hooded cloak and her blood-crusted clothing and hair were revealed. She lifted the spatial barrier and the dead bodies lying across the field materialised. The idiot screamed again as he laid face to face with the corpse of a Suna-nin.

Shinkei started trembling. "H-how many people did you k-kill?"

Michiko shrugged. "I won't know. There are 18 bodies over here if that's what you're asking. But enough talking." Itachi and Akio had clearly heard the screams and had picked up their pace. They'd be here in under a minute.

Nozomi had mostly gotten over the shock. Her body was tense as she got into a ready position. "Shinkei, get your shit together if you want to get out alive. We have nothing to lose."

Michiko gave her a sweet smile. "Ah, so you finally understand. Let's dance."

* * *

Just as Itachi and Akio were approaching camp, both of them heard a bloodcurdling scream. Itachi traded glances with Akio and both of them upped their speed with Itachi outpacing Akio by far. As such, Itachi bore witness to the slaughter nearly a minute before Akio.

The Kumo kunoichi was covered in lacerations with a stab wound through her thigh. Michiko wielded an impressive sword with unexpected skill as the Kumo kunoichi tried to hold the sword off with a mere kunai. Michiko's sword glowed and she knocked her opponent back with ease. The sudden increase of force caused the Kumo kunoichi's grip on her kunai to give way. Michiko went for her throat. The kunoichi was forced to block with her bare arms. Michiko's sword almost ripped through her left arm, splattering blood onto the sand. The kunoichi immediately backed off as far as possible with her arm barely attached. The arm hung awkwardly with little more than tissue and skin keeping it together. The white of her broken bone was clearly showing and a shard of the bone stuck out.

Michiko smirked as she deactivated her sword's fuuinjutsu and the sword stopped glowing. Michiko was covered in blood from head to toe and her black hair fell around her face. It didn't get in her way as a huge chunk of it was stuck to the back by a splotch of crusted blood and many strands had clumped together due to the blood as well. Her chest bindings were bloody, but her upper body only had a few scratches, save for a clotting wound on her left shoulder. Michiko's face was one of ecstasy as she went after her prey. Her potent bloodlust clouded the area, leaving no room to breathe as fear seeped into Itachi's bones.

 _This… This is… Is this really Michiko-hime?_

Itachi watched on with growing horror as beside the Kumo kunoichi, another Kumo-nin trembled in terror. He glanced at the crying ninja on the floor who was also missing an arm. The Kumo-nin hastily started a jutsu but Michiko charged at him. A glimpse of the savage grin stretched across Michiko's face caused his hands to fumble. Michiko went in for a stab through the heart. The Kumo kunoichi quickly grabbed the back of his shirt. Instead of piercing through his heart, Michiko's sword sliced open a deep gash in his gut. Blood burst out rapidly and part of his intestines spilt out. The Kumo-nin went into shock and collapsed on the ground. His fate was clear.

 _This is… what is this? This isn't Michiko-hime. This isn't my Master!_

Around the two kunoichi were the dead bodies of many other genin. Every single one showed evidence of dying by Michiko's explosives or her sword. Some were mutilated so badly by point-blank explosives that they would have to be identified with DNA testing. The chances that Michiko hadn't provoked them into attacking her just so she could slaughter them, just so she could kill them for no reason, were none.

Itachi had known that he would have to kill. Michiko had ordered it. Itachi had been mentally preparing himself to kill over the past week. He had played it out in his mind time and time again, justifying it in any way he could and trying to make light of it. He had pictured Michiko giving a shell-shocked Akio a lecture about the necessary evils of being a ninja. He had pictured Michiko delivering a grand speech in her usual calm, clear voice. He had pictured Michiko as her graceful, brilliant and cool-headed self as she calculated everything and controlled everything perfectly.

 _But this… Michiko-hime isn't herself. She isn't being calm and rational. Michiko-hime… Michiko-hime is smiling?_

The Kumo kunoichi raised a kunai shakily. Michiko ignored her and walked over to the crying ninja on the floor.

The ninja on the floor sobbed. "N-no… Please! Stop! You've won! I-"

Even though it was clear that the battle was over, even though her opponent was begging for his life, even though Michiko was skilled enough to save his life, Michiko brought her sword down on the fallen ninja's throat. The sword pierced through the ninja's neck effortlessly. Michiko pulled the sword out and blood flowed out of the fatal wound, tainting the sand below in red.

As she turned to the Kumo kunoichi, Michiko's cruelly gleeful grin didn't fade. It widened as she readied her sword.

"I like you. For a genin, you're good."

It was clear that another needless death was about to occur, but Michiko's barrier was up and Itachi couldn't intervene. What was happening, what was about to happen, was incomprehensible to Itachi. Itachi had trusted that there was ultimately some reason why Michiko had ordered the deaths of random innocent genin. He had naively thought that despite her bored expression and ruthless demeanour, that somewhere inside, Michiko cared about the things around her. There had to be a reason why she was willing to risk so much. There had to be a reason why she wanted world peace. There had to be a reason why she cared so much about them. But this… But this…

 _Michiko-hime… Michiko-hime is having fun…?_

* * *

Akio sped as fast as he could to the camp, cursing Itachi for being so fast. But as soon as he arrived, Itachi was immediately forgotten in favour of the sight in front of him.

Michiko was facing off against a Kumo kunoichi with a wide grin on her face. She was shirtless for some reason and Akio had never seen her hair so messy before. She wielded a sword with deadly grace as she slowly sliced her opponent apart. Her speed was blinding as she chose to slice off her opponent's other arm instead of killing her. As her opponent slowly backed away, Michiko's wild grin widened.

 _I've never seen Michiko-chan look like this. It's like… it's like she's free. Michiko-chan… is Michiko-chan really having fun?_

With only half an arm, her opponent had no chance of winning. The kunoichi slowly backed away from Michiko.

"You've already won! Why?!"

Michiko sighed, but this sigh was different from her usual one. It was filled with frustration and disappointment and it wiped the joy off of Michiko's face. "To the victor belong the spoils. I won, so your life is mine. My most exciting battles have always ended with the other side completely exterminated."

The two stared at each other for a few more seconds before the kunoichi got into a battle stance. "I'm going to die."

Michiko's grin returned. This time, it wasn't wild or excited. It was filled with satisfaction and a touch of surprise.

 _Michiko-chan… Michiko-chan is happy. She's really, truly having fun. Even though she smiles so much, even though she's always amused at everything, Michiko-chan has never looked like this._

"I was right after all. I almost want to spare you, but killing you would be more gratifying."

The Kumo kunoichi charged at Michiko, running straight to her death as Michiko readied her sword. Michiko launched forward as the Kumo kunoichi neared her. She sliced the equipment pouch strapped onto the kunoichi's thigh. Her sword glowed and she smacked the pouch into the air with the flat of her blade. The pouch exploded in the air, revealing that the Kumo kunoichi had activated all the explosive tags inside in a last ditch attempt. The Kumo kunoichi landed a kick on Michiko as the sword swing had left her right flank open. The Kumo kunoichi was instantly frozen in place by Michiko's shadows.

Michiko's grin looked maniacal. "Never engage a Nara at point-blank range."

Michiko's shadow engulfed the Kumo kunoichi, holding her in place. Michiko's sword glowed and Michiko beheaded her in one swift strike.

Then, Michiko turned around.

Michiko's grin was one of satisfaction and triumph. Her midnight hair was bloody and added to her unhinged expression. Her chest heaved as she took in deep breaths and her chest bindings looked like they were a nick away from unravelling. Her trousers looked unsalvageable from the sand, blood and rips that riddled them and Michiko herself was covered in bleeding cuts and sand.

It was the most beautiful thing Akio had ever witnessed.


	23. Bloody Colours III

Michiko turned around. As she caught sight of them, her maniacal grin disappeared. Silence reigned as Itachi and Akio stared at Michiko.

At last, Michiko sighed. Her previously wild and free expression now closed off and cold. She beckoned them forward with her hand. Itachi and Akio stepped within the barrier and Michiko activated the privacy wards. "Spit it out, Itachi."

Itachi's voice shook with disbelief. "Why? Why did you kill them?"

Michiko's expression was as bored as ever. "They came to this battle knowing that they could die and they did. They were idiots for assuming that I won't kill them or that they could win." Her voice was flat. Even though it sounded the same as usual, Itachi knew that there was something different. But Itachi didn't care. All he could feel was the burning in his chest.

"So what?! Being an idiot isn't a reason for killing them! They couldn't fight anymore, why did you kill them?!"

"Reason? Do I need a reason? If you really want to hear one then it would be because I enjoyed it."

Itachi's world slowed down as everything took on a red tint. He knew that he had accidentally activated his sharingan, but he didn't care. "You enjoyed it? How can anyone enjoy killing some else?!"

"I do not enjoy killing nor do I have an aversion to it. What I enjoy is battle. What I enjoy is victory."

"What enjoyment could you possibly feel by taking on such low-level opponents?! You won the moment they challenged you! You won the moment they stepped within your barriers! You can't call that a battle!"

"I suppose you are right. I killed them because I felt like it at that moment. It wasn't that challenging, but it was fun while it lasted."

"But you just said you didn't enjoy killing!"

"I meant that in a general sense. The loudmouth and wimp kind of pissed me off. It feels satisfying to squish the fly that's buzzing around you, but hunting down and killing every random mosquito you can find is just tiresome and pointless.

"Then why did you kill six other teams?"

Michiko shrugged. "I happened to need a relatively high body count for the shock factor. It was just tedious work."

"That's not a good enough reason for killing all these people! This is someone's life we're talking about! A human isn't a toy! We aren't mosquitos!"

Michiko stared at Itachi for a second before sighing again.

"That's something I never understood about you. 'Killing is wrong', 'Life is precious', 'Peace is inherently good'. These are all beliefs that you and the Konoha populace labour under without question. To me, death is nothing special, life is cheap and peace is a fragile dream at its best. Someone like you who could be seen as the quintessential 'noble' ninja is very puzzling and interesting to me."

Itachi clenched his fists. "Then why do you want world peace? If you really believe that, then how can you profit from world peace?"

"Didn't I just tell you? What I enjoy is battle. What I enjoy is victory. What I enjoy is challenge. World peace seems like such a dream that achieving it is automatically interesting and challenging."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

Itachi stared at Michiko uncomprehendingly. That was all? For such a simple reason, Michiko had united so many powerful people towards a single cause? Just for fun? Just for that one moment where she could say 'I won'? But Michiko always placed work before fun. The all-nighters, the insane training sessions and her operating code of 'efficiency above all else' spoke of great drive. If it was really all for fun, why would she make the process so hard? This couldn't be all there was!

"But that's not like you! What about what comes after? In the long run, won't the number of exciting battles decrease?"

"If I really can't find anything worth sticking around for, I'll just kill myself." Suicide? Just so she won't be bored? Was Michiko serious? Was entertainment that important to her? Did she really value life so little? Michiko's voice was detached and her expression remained stone cold as she watched both Itachi and Akio reeled in shock.

"K-kill yourself?!" Akio stammered out. "What do you mean?"

"It's exactly as it sounds. If this life becomes too tedious, I'll just quit. But the two of you won't need to worry. This world has many centuries' worth of entertainment value. I probably won't be getting bored anytime soon."

Itachi stood completely dumbfounded. "I don't understand."

A foreign emotion flashed fiercely across Michiko's face, but it was gone before Itachi could identify it. If he hadn't had his sharingan out, Itachi probably won't have noticed it. He didn't have time to dwell on it as Michiko turned away.

"You are having second thoughts."

Itachi instinctively opened his mouth to deny it but no words came out. Even after knowing the reason why Michiko wanted world peace, should he still serve her? Itachi knew that Michiko's way would result in several needless deaths just for her amusement. What if she got bored of achieving world peace? What if she decided that killing her allies would be more fun than working with them? Would she eliminate them just because she could? Could he continue to give his unquestioning loyalty to someone like that? Someone who couldn't even understand the value of life?

But amidst the chaos, a cool and calculated voice grew larger. As his inner self was thrown into disarray, his ninja side attempted to take over.

So what if Michiko enjoyed it? It didn't matter. If a few needed to be sacrificed for long-term peace, then as a ninja, it was his duty to end those lives. Even if he kept his hands clean, someone else would be doing the job and nothing would change. Even if he chose not to serve Michiko, he would be serving his country and his village. Was it really any different? No, it would be worse if he served Konoha. Unlike Michiko, the upper echelon of the village was split. Many desired conquest rather than peace. As a ninja of his country, he could never question his orders even though some of them would result in the death of innocents because of the greed and selfishness of the elite. But Michiko was a much more certain leader to bet on. By hook or by crook, she would have her way with the world. As her sworn ninja, he had more importance and thus more rights than a ninja of Fire Country. He could refuse orders. He could question orders. He could better ensure that the deaths were truly necessary and Michiko would be a lot more understanding of his needs than the government.

But won't that just be a half-hearted way out? Won't that mean he would split his loyalty between Michiko and his own interests? A ninja was a tool, a soldier that followed the orders of its master. As her ninja, was it right for him to question her? To refuse orders because of his own selfish beliefs when he knew that the order would aid peace? Wouldn't that mean he would be working against peace? What about on the battlefield when there was no time to question orders? If Michiko ordered the death of seemingly innocent civilians, would he slaughter them, trusting that Michiko knew best? Could he trust Michiko? He could, couldn't he? Even if Michiko didn't care about others, she still cared about him and Akio, right? Michiko knew that Itachi wouldn't want to kill innocents. That's why she asked if he was fine with indiscriminate slaughter on the genin. She had their best interests at heart.

But in the end, she had ordered him to kill them, hadn't she? If she hadn't decided to kill them herself, Itachi would have done it. He would have done it believing that Michiko had a reason. Or had that just been a test after all? Michiko had seemed pretty serious, but Itachi had never been good at reading emotions. Had Michiko just been acting? What was an act and what wasn't? Could Itachi distinguish between the two?

Could Itachi even trust himself to make this decision?

Michiko activated the storage seal on her right wrist and sealed away her sword. "Itachi, do you have the scrolls?"

Itachi automatically responded. "Yes. Three gold scrolls and two black scrolls. The black scrolls are fakes."

"Then we will hand in the scrolls and finish this phase of the exam. For the final phase, be sure to completely blow away your opponents. The Iwa daimyo will be watching. He's reluctant to meddle with ninja matters and doesn't want to fund an unnecessary war. After that, Akio will stay with me in Suna so you'll have plenty of time to come to a decision. You know many things I would rather not be made public, but nothing critical. If you want to back out, now is the time." Before, Michiko would have just ordered him to crush his opponents and not give them a chance at promotion rather than explaining to him why it needed to be done. Somehow, Itachi didn't like this despite the fact that he had wanted this knowledge.

"I understand."

Akio blinked a couple of times as he tried to process what was happening. "Wait, is Itachi going to leave us?"

Michiko turned to Akio. "Possibly."

Akio looked at Itachi, then at Michiko, then back at Itachi again before his face morphed into a burning mix of disgust and hate. "So that's how it is." Akio spat out. "I knew you were a bastard, but somehow I expected better from you."

Itachi was taken aback from the sudden aggression. Even when he had stabbed Michiko, Akio had never sounded so disgusted. "What do you mean?"

Akio just kept getting angrier. "What do I mean? That should be obvious! A look at Michiko-chan's face is more than enough! Michiko-chan is-"

"Akio, that is enough."

"But Michiko-chan-"

Michiko's expression morphed from cold to glacial. "That is enough. We're leaving."

Michiko's shadows spread across the desert. She removed the barriers in place and retracted them quickly.

"What about the traps?" Itachi questioned.

"Leave them."

"What if someone gets caught in them?"

Michiko's answering look told him plainly that she didn't care, but her shadows snaked towards the corpses. The shadows wrapped around the corpses and she flung them to where the traps were, setting them off. Itachi watched as the corpses were further mutilated by the explosions and kunai. A shuriken trap impaled a Suna-nin's corpse with fifty new holes and one of Michiko's nastier explosive traps completely obliterated a Kiri-nin's corpse, sending a shower of blood across the sand and leaving nothing but scraps of cloth and bone behind.

Itachi felt anger build up inside him again. "Couldn't you have used something else to set the traps off?"

"There's nothing but sand around us. We took great care in making sure things like rocks and kunai won't set off the traps. The corpses still had some chakra in them, making it the best choice."

"We could have manually-"

"They are corpses." Michiko interrupted. "Let's leave."

Michiko took off immediately after, expecting Itachi and Akio to follow her. Itachi hesitated for a moment before doing so. The three of them made their way to the finishing point in silence with Akio throwing glares at Itachi every ten seconds. Itachi wasn't sure why Akio was so angry, but it was clear that bringing up the subject would result in an argument. Itachi just wanted to get the exam over with and be alone for a while.

Near the checkpoint a group of Suna-nin ambushed them. The three of them leapt out of the sand and surrounded them, throwing kunai, jutsu and sand at them. It didn't come as a surprise to Itachi as there were bound to be a team who chose to wait at the checkpoint to take scrolls from other teams instead of hunting down one. Akio reacted quickly as well and took no damage from the surprise attack. Michiko's face stayed fixed in its apathy. She had likely sensed them before they revealed themselves. For a second, Itachi was afraid that Michiko would kill the Suna-nin, but Michiko merely dodged the attack with minimal margins and made no move to retaliate.

"Itachi, you have 10 seconds."

Itachi responded immediately as he activated his sharingan and cast an immobilising genjutsu. The genjutsu took instant effect and Itachi took the opportunity to cast a triple-layer looping genjutsu. The base layer would keep them unconscious and the middle layer drew information from their subconscious and fed it back, creating a looping effect and ensuring that the genjutsu would last longer. The final layer had physical effects and caused a separation of yin and yang chakra in the brain. Their body would still be able to move and react instinctively to danger even though their mind was occupied. It was an A-rank genjutsu Itachi had found discarded in the corner of the Uchiha main house library.

Within two seconds, the Suna-nin were defeated. Michiko wordlessly continued running and Itachi and Akio followed. In three minutes, they arrived at the checkpoint, which was a small booth similar to the one at the entrance. The two of the three chuunin stationed there exchanged looks and the other one was passed out on a bench. A three-second round of janken later, the brown-haired chuunin lost. He closed his bento and turned to them, gesturing to them to come over to his desk.

The chuunin addressed Michiko. "Which team is this?"

"Konoha's Team 11."

"Scroll?"

Itachi stepped forward and handed the five scrolls to the chuunin. The chuunin raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to hand the other scrolls to other Konoha ninja?"

Michiko answered once again. "What would be the point? None of the other Konoha-nin are skilled enough to hold a candle to the most powerful teams this time round. They'd make a pathetic showing during the tournament. Konoha would be better off not showcasing them."

The chuunin's other eyebrow rose as he opened each of the scrolls and examined them thoroughly. "Feeling confident, are we? Suna has quite a few candidates in the running."

Usually, Michiko would look amused and drop some hints to bait the chuunin, but this time, she delivered her words in a monotone, matter-of-fact manner. "I eliminated most of them in the first round and killed the rest off in the second round. I left the small fry to the lions."

At this, the chuunin paused in his work and peered at Michiko. The other chuunin was also clearly listening in. "So you were the one behind the bizarre results of the written exam. Nara Michiko, was it? There are many rumours floating in Suna about you. Is it true that you're involved with the jinchuuriki?"

"Jinchuuriki are interesting. Do the scrolls pass muster?" Michiko had basically told the chuunin without telling them that she was involved with the jinchuuriki, that the Suna government had forbidden her to speak of it and that she disagreed with the order. Anyone with basic profiling abilities could gather that she was resistant to authority, very influential in the project involving the jinchuuriki and that she was probably at least tokubetsu jounin level if she was allowed to get away with that attitude.

The chuunin placed the scrolls in a drawer. "They seem to be genuine. You pass. I'll escort you back to Suna."

The other chuunin spoke up. "No need. I'll escort them. You're still eating lunch, aren't you?" The janken match made it apparent that escorting genin was an undesirable job and that they had disputed over it enough for there to be an established way of resolving the dispute. This meant that the chuunin most likely wanted to weed out information from Michiko.

"No, it's fine. It won't take long." replied the brown-haired chuunin.

A sliver of Michiko's frigid mask cracked off, revealing a flash of raw resentment and scorching rage. The crack was quickly mended before anyone but Itachi noticed, but the damage was done. As the punch of shock faded, Itachi was flooded with visceral terror. The sudden torrent of emotions allowed his rational voice to take over and Itachi pushed his feelings into the background.

A tinge of Michiko's impatience slipped into her voice. "Could you be more obvious?" She walked into the booth and lightly tapped the sleeping chuunin. The chuunin had purple markings on his face, signifying that he was probably from a family that specialised in puppetry. The chuunin blearily opened his eyes and blinked a few times at the sight of Michiko.

"Nara Michiko? Oh, you finished the second phase." The chuunin checked his watch. "And it's only 10 pm. The 15th team should have just entered." He sat up and stretched. "Ah, well. I guess I should have expected as much. This chuunin exam is turning out to be quite crazy."

"You know the girl?" asked the brown-haired chuunin.

Michiko answered curtly. "He inked my monitoring seal. Would you escort us back to Suna, Ryosei-san?"

Ryosei shrugged. "Sure. Let's go."

Without further ado, the four of them left for Suna, with Ryosei striking up a conversation obviously meant to gather information.

"So, Michiko-chan, could you tell me more about your teammates?"

"Akio's my coffee mule. Itachi's my punching bag. That's all you need to know."

Ryosei gave a fake laugh that Itachi would generously grade as a 3 out of 10. Ever since he witnessed Michiko's sharingan-defyingly genuine smile, all acts paled in comparison. Subconsciously or not, he always ended up comparing others to Michiko and he always found that they never held up.

"Surely there's more to them than that!"

"Once you've figured out his foundational character, Itachi has very little in the way of personality. Akio manages to be as transparent as glass yet somehow thicker than a brick wall. A five-year-old can form an accurate profile of him." Itachi glanced at Akio. Akio opened his mouth to rebut before glancing at Ryosei then at Itachi. Afterwards, he seemed to be too busy glaring at Itachi to get mad at Michiko's comment.

Ryosei gave a 2/10 fake laugh. "Harsh, aren't you? Anyway, why do you have so much blood on you?"

"I slaughter 21 genin."

Ryosei stared at Michiko for a second before giving a 0.5/10 fake laugh. "You're joking, right?"

"No."

Ryosei stared at Michiko awkwardly for a few more seconds before looking away. "Oh. Okay. 21 genin is 7 teams. That's almost half of the genin in the second phase, you know? You sure you didn't count wrong?"

"Yes."

There was a short pause before Ryosei gave a slightly better fake laugh. "Well, I guess getting rid of the competition first is not a bad idea, but don't you think 21 genin is a little too excessive?"

"No."

Ryosei didn't seem to know how to respond and he switched subjects. "So, how's Suna?"

Michiko sighed. "Suboptimal. The sand and chakra atmosphere is detrimental to building long-standing chakra constructs. I'll have to pick up quite a few new methods of chakra generation, chakra storage, seal attachment and seal segregation to make up for it."

"Can't you just have a big chakra storage? And what's seal segregation?"

"Seals with no chakra generation components fall apart easily under duress. No matter how big the chakra storage, if the generating rate can't keep up, the seal will fall apart. I usually have my seals draw chakra from its surroundings, but that's not going to work in the desert. Seal segregation is a necessary safety precaution. If one part is damaged, that part can be switched off and isolated so it won't affect the rest of the seal. Other than that, seal segregation makes it easier to update portions of the seal that have become outdated without redoing the whole thing."

"But those are techniques for huge barriers and security seals meant to stand for years, right? Why would you need to learn how to adapt them to Suna's climate?" An obvious attempt at information gathering. Itachi wasn't sure whether Ryosei had picked up that Michiko was purposefully feeding him information or whether Ryosei really thought he was extracting information.

Michiko glanced sideways at Ryosei briefly. Not a single speck of amusement was perceivable. "A B-class Asaka could see through one of my space-isolation barriers. As you may have noticed, I'm more than a little irritated at the moment."

Ryosei gave yet another fake laugh. "But that means that you can usually fool B-class ninja, right? If an Asaka is someone who specialises in detecting traps, then that mean that you're A-class. That's amazing! You can't be older than 16. At that age, most are only halfway to becoming chuunin!"

Michiko's reply was sharp and hard. "No. At my age, being only A-class in a couple of fields is disgraceful. I may not have been to Suna before, but I should be so familiar with chakra theory that I should've adapted a week ago."

Ryosei sighed. "Konoha ninja have really high standards, don't they? I've heard lots of stories about clan pressure. Don't take this personally, but Konoha seems to dump its child prodigies into the bin pretty easily."

"Konoha is very wasteful, but Suna isn't much better if you're talking about treatment. They just keep their ninja on tighter leashes. Besides, I don't think you should judge Konoha based on Team 11. We are outliers even amongst the abnormal."

Ryosei laughed. "Well, yeah, I kind of got that. But Akio-kun seems normal."

"Akio's the sanest, but even he has his moments." At this Akio stared at Michiko intensely before his eyes widened. He gritted his teeth and the glare he gave Itachi was darker than black.

"Oh, really?" Ryosei commented

"Yes."

Ryosei seemed to have given up and they continued their journey to Suna in silence. It wasn't long before the four of them arrived at the gates.

Michiko turned to Ryosei. "Thank you for escorting us. I will see you around."

Ryosei shrugged. "No problem. Maybe we could grab some coffee when you're in a better mood." Obvious attempt at networking.

"Perhaps. I'm a busy woman." Basically, Michiko would only talk with Ryosei when there was information she would like to be leaked.

Ryosei gave a somewhat genuine grin. Whether he understood what Michiko was saying was ambiguous as he replied. "I'll see you around then."

Ryosei took off, leaving the three of them alone.

Michiko subtly glanced around before addressing them. "I have work to do. How are you holding up, Akio?"

Akio's gaze switched between Michiko and Itachi. He struggled for a second before replying. "I'll join you later. I want to take a shower."

Michiko studied Akio for a few more seconds before turning away. "Be careful."

For once, it was Itachi who was left out of the loop. Michiko walked off. Akio stared dumbfounded at Michiko's back before he straightened his back and clenched his fists, his eyes filling with determination.

"Let's go, you bastard."

Without waiting for him, Akio headed in the direction of their lodging. Curious, Itachi followed. The pair arrived at the lodging shortly. Akio held the door to their room open for Itachi before slamming the door shut and locking it.

"Why are you so angry at me?" Itachi asked.

"Why? That should be obvious, genius! You betrayed Michiko-chan!"

Betrayed Michiko? "What do you mean? She was the one who betrayed me, betrayed us! She asked us to risk our lives for her amusement. She's willing to throw away people like they're worth less than dirt."

Akio's face distorted further in rage. "Are you blind?! Don't fuck with me! You can't tell me that you never noticed! I knew! I always knew! Even though I didn't want to see it, even though I didn't want to admit it to myself, at the back of my mind, I knew it! I knew that Michiko-chan wasn't as nice or kind as she seemed and that she was batshit insane! I knew she would do whatever it takes to get what she wants and I knew she used people for her own benefit. You are supposed to be a genius! You can't tell me you didn't know this right from the start!"

Itachi's shoulders tensed as a memory flew through his mind unbidden.

 _Itachi got down on one knee. "If swearing fealty to you will help achieve peace, then it is a negligible price."_

 _And Michiko smiled. A pure cheshire grin, wild and ferocious with a touch of insanity. Before, a tiny glimpse had sent him cowering in the recesses of his mind. But now, Itachi was calmed, even enlightened by the insanity lingering behind the illusionary smiles._

 _Sanity was just another name for normality, after all. While Ninja Itachi cowered in terror, Michiko's special brand of insanity came as no surprise to Inner Itachi._

Itachi's fists clenched. "Maybe I knew it. Maybe I knew it from the start. Maybe I knew it the moment I swore allegiance. But that doesn't make it right! It doesn't change the fact that she slaughtered innocent children just for her amusement! How can you follow someone like that!"

"Because I love Michiko-chan!"

"Love? That's all? Even though you saw her murder all those people, your answer is love? How can that be it?! How can that be enough!"

Akio's glare twisted from hot fury into something colder, something much more bitter. "What are you talking about? You can't be this blind. Despite knowing what Konoha has done, you still love your village! Despite all the shit they put you through, you still love that damned clan! Despite how greedy and ugly they are, you still love humans! You love peace! You love the world! You love life! How can love be enough? Don't give me that bullshit! Isn't love why you are doing all this?!"

 _"Itachi, what do you want?" Itachi floundered for a moment because no one ever asked him what he wanted._

 _"I… I want peace." Inner Itachi panicked when Ninja Itachi didn't even remind him how ridiculous and childish that sounded. Ninja Itachi was fading._

 _"For what reason?"_

 _"I…" The blood, the corpses and the terror of war flashed through his mind. One day, he had looked down to see that sweet, chubby little face and thought:_

 _No. Never._

Maybe it was true. Maybe he was doing this all for love. But was love really all there was? Was love all there needed to be? Itachi had looked up to Michiko. Itachi had found comfort in Michiko. Itachi had depended on Michiko. But Itachi wasn't sure if he loved Michiko. He had always known, always thought he would be able to kill innocents. He knew there was no such thing as a bloodless revolution. He knew that the more powerful the ninja, the bloodier their hands. He knew that Michiko wasn't a kind-hearted saviour, that she would order him to do unsavoury things. He knew, he had known… but in the end, had he really understood? Itachi knew without a doubt that for the sake of Sasuke, for the sake of peace, he would kill Michiko if needs be. But for the sake of Sasuke, for the sake of love, would he also follow Michiko?

The answer should have been a resounding 'yes', but somehow, there was a tiny voice in him screaming otherwise.

Itachi looked away. "No matter how strong your love, how can you be unaffected by the murders of all those genin? How can you accept her?"

"I'm not like you. I'm not as good-hearted or as caring as you are. I hate the Uchiha for turning their backs on my little sister. I hate Konoha for letting the Uchiha do whatever they want. I hate this system that can't recognise Ayano's talents and would happily dump her on the streets. I hate this world and I couldn't care less about the people in it, especially those who perpetuate this cycle. In this rotten world, there are only two things that matter: Ayano and Michiko-chan. I couldn't care less about the people she killed."

"For the sake of a better world, you would follow her?"

Akio growled. "Have you been listening to anything I've said?! I don't give a shit about this world! I love Michiko-chan! It would be better if she stayed away from all this dangerous political business. But I can't force her to stay away so I'm going to support her. In whatever way I can!"

"You say that you're going to support her, but in the end, all you can do is make her coffee and help her sort through papers. What can you actually do?"

Akio stepped forward and moved to punch Itachi in the face. Deciding it was better to let Akio punch him rather than start a fight in the foreign genin's living quarters, Itachi let him. This somehow managed to make Akio even angrier.

"What can I actually do? I should be the one questioning you! You always say that I'm all talk, that I'm a bad ninja and that I'm stupid and weak, but at least I'm doing something! I cook for her every day, I make sure she's clean, I chase away annoyances and I help her with all the tedious tasks she has to do. It may seem small and insignificant to you, but the fact is that I save Michiko-chan over 3 hours every day! Results are all that matter to real ninja, right? Tell me, what have you done for Michiko-chan? Nothing! You are supposed to be her perfect assassin, the ninja that she could trust with any mission and any information. You always preach about being a perfect tool, about following orders and having complete faith in your 'master' but you hesitated the moment Michiko-chan shows you a little bloodshed! You haven't done a single mission for her! And the worst part is that Michiko-chan trusted you! She trusted you to accept her, she trusted you as a ninja! Even though I've done more than you, she didn't give me that same trust! It was all over her face. Michiko-chan was happy. She was free. She was in her element when she slaughtered those genin. Even though she's always smiling, I've never seen her really happy before. I've never seen her so comfortable! The face she made as she saw your betrayal was shock, but the face she gave me was surprise! She trusted you with who she was and you betrayed her!"

"What are you talking about?! She was the one who betrayed me! I trusted her to do what was necessary-"

"Bullshit! You knew from the start that Michiko-chan wasn't that kind of person! If it was convenient, she would kill. If it made her plans move the tiniest bit faster, she would kill. If she simply wanted to, she would kill. You knew all of this!"

"I knew it, but I didn't realise it! I don't understand it!"

The two boys stood glaring at each other before Akio turned away and walked to the door.

"Despite everything, I thought better of you, genius. You act like you know everything, but in the end, you always fail to understand anything important because you're too caught up in yourself and your dreams. Everyone will praise you and everyone will continue to kiss your ass, but when it comes to the things that really matter, you will always fail and you will continue to fool yourself into believing that you haven't until you break. That's what I think. If you're going to continue down that path then you should never contact Michiko-chan again. She already has enough heartbreak to deal with."

Akio left the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving Itachi alone with his existential crisis.


	24. Nohara Chie

Katashi glanced at Michiko's ink brush, moving at its usual amazingly fast pace and sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Nara-kun, are you-"

"I'm fine."

"It's been 27 hours since you've slept-"

"I'm fine."

"You've been like this for the last two weeks-"

"If you're that tired, have the ANBU take over."

Katashi glanced at Akio, who was sleeping on a futon, before sighing again. "Nara-kun, you know I can't do that."

Michiko didn't pay him the slightest bit of attention more than necessary and her brush continued moving. "When are you going to tell the Kazekage?"

If Katashi told the Kazekage how bad the situation was, he would definitely be in bad graces for the next few years. After he was done with the hell that was working with Michiko, he wouldn't be able to handle back to back A-ranked and S-ranked missions. The Suna government was really inflexible about this sort of thing and they were the reason why Katashi had to decide between not notifying them of a potential security risk that they could do little to fix and being under slave labour for the next five years. Add in that this was a security risk that Katashi really didn't want fixed, the choice was obvious.

"It works out in the end, doesn't it?"

"I guess. Most of my equipment will be arriving today. I've almost finished all the experiments I can do with bijuu chakra without my equipment. Bijuu chakra is a very volatile and unpredictable element. Fully understanding it will take decades of research, but I should get a good enough grasp for this project. Has a date been decided for my proposal?"

"Yes. Three days after your equipment arrives, you will present your theory on how cooperation with bijuu will strengthen a jinchuuriki. It's going to be a hard sell."

"Desperate times require desperate measures. I doubt the council will be able to understand my theory though." Michiko was clearly asking for backup. Katashi didn't see how Michiko would gain from the jinchuuriki losing control and she had proven herself to be capable in the field of fuuinjutsu. Katashi really didn't want the fools in the Suna council to cancel the project just because of fear.

Once again, Michiko had presented him a situation with only one clear choice and that clear choice so happened to benefit her. Katashi wasn't the most socially savvy, but even he noticed after the tenth or so time.

"I'll be translating, so you'll be fine."

Michiko nodded but didn't bother looking up. "Good."

"You've been sleeping here since the second phase ended. Did you have a team falling out?"

"Something like that."

"Did-"

"The quality of my work will not go down."

Michiko was as impossible to reason with as usual so Katashi gave up. She continued on for two more hours as Katashi struggled not to nod off. She had been working for almost 30 hours with only three dozen cups of coffee and three meals at Akio's insistence, supporting Katashi's theory that Konoha's elite shared a common kekkei genkai wherein their inhuman willpower somehow translated into proportionately insane levels of energy. Katashi really, really didn't want to fall asleep on the job or take pills.

"Nara-kun-"

"I'm not stopping until the equipment comes."

"So you'll stop when the equipment comes?"

"Maybe after the five hours it takes to install, test and tweak the equipment to suit Konoha's chakra atmosphere."

"How much is 'maybe'?"

Michiko finally stopped writing and leant back in her chair to stretch. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm reaching my limit. I'd hate to tweak it wrongly and damage the machines. With Akio helping, it should take me only an hour to install and test the important ones."

Katashi sighed in relief. "Great, but you still haven't told me why you need machines."

"You'll see."

An ANBU entered the room. "There's a sandstorm."

Michiko's voice was resigned. "How long?"

"The delivery will be here tomorrow at best." Michiko glanced at Akio then at Katashi and Katashi started to sweat a little. He would get to sleep today, right?

Finally, Michiko sighed. "Wake me up when the delivery is here."

As Michiko moved to retrieve her futon, Katashi immediately made his way to the exit. Just in case she changed her mind. "Inform me when the delivery is here as well."

The ANBU nodded and Katashi left the building with a sigh of relief.

He was supposed to be her supervisor and superior. Somehow, it didn't really feel that way.

* * *

The next day came in a blink of an eye. Katashi, Michiko and Akio arrived at the gate to see a group of Konoha chuunin pushing large containers the size of studio apartments on their handcarts through the main gate. It wouldn't have mattered if they went through the back gate as the containers radiated amounts of chakra that even Katashi could feel it. At this point, it was a common knowledge that Nara Michiko was working on something related to the jinchuuriki with the government's approval. Katashi had expected it to get out eventually, but not this fast. Michiko clearly had something to do with it.

A chuunin, presumably the captain, stepped forward. "Express delivery to Nara Michiko."

Michiko glanced at the large containers. "They don't seem to have taken damage, but I'll have to check. What are your orders?"

"We are to assist Suna after the delivery, but Nohara-hakase over there is staying." He pointed to a woman in her late twenties who had long brown hair, brown eyes and slated purple rectangles on her cheeks, signifying that she was from a clan. Katashi actually knew the Nohara clan due to their influence in the medical field.

The woman stepped forward and saluted. "Nohara Chie, Head of Konoha Hospital's Medical Research Department." Head of Medical Research? Katashi knew Konoha had to take this project seriously, but he hadn't expected such a big fish.

Michiko didn't seem surprised as she saluted back. "Nara Michiko, Fuuinjutsu Specialist." She turned back to the chuunin captain. "You can consider your mission complete after I've installed and tested the equipment. It shouldn't take more than two hours."

The captain nodded. "Understood." He turned to Katashi. "And who may you be?"

Katashi held out his hand. "Katashi, Head of the Puppet Brigade."

The captain shook his hand. "Sarutobi Yuuma, Chuunin Captain."

Katashi withdrew his hand. "I will lead you to the destination."

One of the gate guards spoke up. "But we need to conduct security checks."

Katashi turned to Michiko. "I'm sure you have a reason as to why they can't."

Michiko's lips quirked, a shadow of her usual amused smile. She must be in really good mood with the arrival of her equipment. "You're really starting to get the hang of this. It wouldn't do for them to mess with the delicate machinery and damage the barriers and seals in place, won't it? After all, many of them are custom-made and one of a kind. They all require skilled fuuinjutsu specialists to analyse so it's not as though the gate guards will be able to detect any security threats anyway. If they mess up, I'll bill the million ryo repair fees to Suna."

The gate guards paled. "O-one million ryo? W-well, I guess such equipment will need special analysis anyway, right?"

Katashi sighed and gave Michiko a lazy glare. "I'll do the security checks when we reach the facility."

Michiko let out an amused breath. "Of course."

Katashi turned back to the giant containers. "And I'm guessing that they can't be put in storage scrolls."

"Of course not." Michiko replied.

Katashi sighed. Not even the ANBU could covertly sneak in such large, chakra radiant and delicate items across the village without anyone noticing. The Kazekage had told him there was no point in keeping it a secret anymore so they might as well put on a show to tell everyone that it was fine to talk about it.

"Follow me."

The Konoha ninja, one of the gate guards, two squads of ANBU, Michiko and Akio followed him. Everyone, ninja and civilian alike, stared as Katashi led a train of Konoha ninja pushing gigantic hand carts through the center of Suna. Given that Michiko and Akio were with him, they garnered many ninja tailing them to see what it was all about. The fact that they were heading to the R&D building would confirm the rumours.

It took a while for them to reach the facility as the chuunin had to move at a civilian's walking pace so as not to damage the equipment. That was probably why it took so long for the equipment to arrive.

"Place the equipment near the entrance." Katashi instructed. "Only Nohara-sensei is allowed to enter. My colleague shall escort you to your lodgings."

The gate guard stepped forward. "You are to report to the Kazekage Tower to receive further instructions. Please follow me."

The four of them waited for the group of chuunin to go before Katashi asked Michiko. "Which should we move in first?"

"The easy ones. I don't want to set up my machines only to have to change the location later." She pointed at the green container. "That container carries all the large standard equipment: paper cabinets, drying cabinets, monitoring machines, et cetera. The white container contains the small essentials: brushes, scrolls, books, et cetera. Akio will handle all the paper. Do not touch the paper and minimise your chakra emissions when in the container. The red container has the bigger machines. Do not touch those. I do not want anyone other than Akio close to my calculator or my copier machine ever. The blue container is an operating theater with a T&I twist. It will remain as is."

Katashi didn't know what was so delicate about a calculator or photocopier or why she decided to ship an operating theater over. He was also mildly offended that Michiko didn't trust him to handle paper. But there was no point in arguing so the four of them, along with a team of ANBU, started moving everything into the facility. Thankfully, there were no other research projects going on so no one was there to see a thirteen-year-old girl chew out an ANBU for mishandling ink.

It didn't take long for Chie to strike up a conversation with him when they were alone. "How is Nara-chan like?"

"She favours 25 hour work days. She's fast, dedicated and skilled and gets very frustrated when something impedes her work. The main issue with her is that she expects everyone around her to keep up with her insanity. If you are capable and don't mind working 16 hours a day, I don't expect you'll find many problems with her professionally. As for her personality…" Katashi jerked his head slightly to the room where Michiko was barking orders at the ANBU. "It's… unique. She's hard-nosed, sharp-tongued and crafty, but she usually isn't this snappy."

"In the last few months leading up to the chuunin exams, Nara Michiko gained a bit of a reputation as an eccentric in Konoha. I was a little worried but she seems fine so far."

Katashi hid a wince. So Chie was another workaholic. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. "She's going to break down at the rate she's going and I do not want to be there when it happens."

Chie gave him a curious look. "How old are you?"

"27. Why do you ask?"

Chie seemed surprised. "You're only two years younger? You must be very talented to be Head of the Puppet Brigade at only 27."

"I could say the same for you. Head of Medical Research is an impressive title."

"I suppose. But we haven't been to war in a while so most of our time is spent behind the desk."

Katashi shrugged. "That's a good thing so I'm not complaining. The threat of war is what brings about projects such as this one."

Chie gave a small smile. "You… don't know many people, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're the solitary type. When dealing with people and leading missions, you'd rather be doing something else."

Sharp. Katashi prayed to god that Chie wasn't a Michiko-type. He didn't think he could handle two of them in the same room. "What makes you say that?"

"It's more intuition than anything, but if I had to give a reason, it would be because you find Nara-chan so weird. As one of the top medic-nin, I've treated my far share of the Konoha elite. You'll find an endless stream of interesting characters amongst them. Nara-chan isn't what you would call 'standard', but she isn't any more quirky than the average Konoha elite."

Katashi sighed. "That's what I thought at first, but I've been thinking otherwise lately. You'll just have to see for yourself."

"What about her assistant?"

"Akio-kun? He's-"

"Katashi." Katashi turned to see Akio coming out of the building. "Michiko-chan should be done yelling at the ANBU soon. We are going to move the machines. She wants everyone to stay clear."

Katashi and Chie stood to the side as Akio opened the red container. Inside the container were many large crates. Akio carefully lifted the nearest crate out and carried it into the building. The crate was made of a common sturdy wood native to Konoha and was covered with black ink. From what Katashi could tell, it was an upper B-rank protection seal and aimed to guard against damage and theft. It was easily 2 meters tall and Akio had to walk sideways so he could see where he was going. Katashi was starting to get really curious as to why she needed such large and expensive machines for such a typically simple craft (equipment-wise).

Katashi and Chie followed behind Akio. Katashi suppressed his chakra as much as he could, just in case the machines were chakra sensitive. He made sure to keep his footsteps loud even though Michiko was a sensor and his chakra control was abysmal. He had been in too many friendly fire situations.

Michiko stood in the middle of the room. She had asked for the biggest room in the building and had replaced all of the equipment in the room with her own. She had shipped over a bookcase that was stuffed to the brim, a few desks of varying size and unidentified purposes and rows of cabinets and drawers filled with every kind of brushes, ink and paper one could find.

Michiko stopped reverently stroking her desk in favour of turning to face them. Her overall posture was relaxed and open as opposed to the tense frustration and stress that lined her body since the beginning of the project. Whatever troubles she had seemed to be temporarily forgotten as the familiar mischievously gleeful spark was back in her eyes and the slight quirk of her lips took on its naturally devious amusement.

The message was clear even to him. This was Michiko's element. This was Michiko's territory.

Michiko looked up as she addressed Katashi. "You don't have to suppress your chakra. The machines are electricity-based and they aren't chakra sensitive."

Katashi frowned. "But you said they are extremely delicate."

"I meant it in a physical sense. It's sensitive to water, shock, trauma and many other things chakra constructs aren't vulnerable towards. I can't have the gate guards ripping apart my baby. I have spare parts, but I haven't gotten around to teaching Akio how to do more than maintenance."

"You said that it would take one million ryo to repair."

"Of course. It's a custom-made, one of a kind, top of the line, fuuinjutsu-specific piece of equipment that was made specifically for me. It's not available on the market and you know how expensive computers are."

"And how did you get the money to have this computer made?"

"I didn't. A friend of mine gave it to me."

"A friend?" Katashi asked.

"Yes."

Akio frowned. "I don't have someone like that on the list of acquaintances."

Michiko's smirk took on a sly twist. "I forgot to tell you about him? I guess it's not surprising. We're old friends and we don't meet very often. Don't worry. I invited him over to Suna so you'll be able to meet him soon."

Katashi sighed and hid a grimace. "What kind of friends do you have?"

Katashi knew Michiko probably had allies, but he didn't think she had someone who could throw around a few million for her sake. Not to mention that person could organise what would probably be a powerhouse of researchers just to make equipment for her… With her age and appearance, Katashi hadn't thought that Michiko was that kind of kunoichi but emotional attachments were the easiest way to get these kinds of results. Looking at Akio, there was clearly something going on with her.

Michiko's smirk gave way to amusement. "You'll see. You should probably read up on Autumn Artisan."

"I'm guessing your friend is amongst the higher ups?"

"Something like that."

Katashi sighed. After staying awake for what would likely be another 24 hours, he wasn't about to spend hours memorising the profiles of civilians. "Whatever. So what is this computer for?"

"It's my calculator."

Katashi looked pointedly at the 2-meter tall box. "Your 2-meter tall, one million ryo, custom made calculator?"

Katashi immediately regretted questioning her as Michiko instantly switched into lecture mode. "One million ryo is the repair fees for all my delicate machinery, not the calculator alone. The box is thick with lots of padding so it's really only 1.35 meters tall. Most people still use the abacus and any digital calculators are basic. They mostly come as a side function of computers with a broader focus. There obviously isn't going to be any that contain complex fuuinjutsu equations with the accuracy and speed that I need. Do you know how much time I waste fiddling with the abacus? There's a reason why most fuuinjutsu users copy off templates instead of experimenting and why there are so few barriers in comparison to one-time use seals. The moment I make an error I have to redo half my calculations and that's if the results haven't exploded in my face during the testing phase. Not only is there zero human error with a computer, but this calculator can sync up the language and mathematical aspects of fuuinjutsu almost perfectly. You could almost say that it is a two-in-one dictionary and calculator. Syncing up the two is by far the hardest part of fuuinjutsu because-"

Katashi cut her off. "Nara-kun, I get the picture. I have to check it."

Michiko raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you think you'd be capable of finding anything? Konoha and Kumo are the only countries investing any budget in computer science. The average Iwa-nin doesn't know what a battery is and Suna is behind them in technological advancement. If you don't have a fuuinjutsu department, I doubt you have any computer specialists."

Katashi sighed. "Then the Kazekage won't permit its use."

Michiko smirked deviously. "Oh? And I suppose that applies to the rest of my machines?"

Katashi eyed her warily. "Yes."

Michiko shook her head in mocking dismay. "Such a shame. Without my machines, I'd take a lot longer to fix Gaara's problem. Let's see… I guess it'd take three years instead of one."

"Three years?" Katashi repeated with slight incredulity.

Michiko gave him a sweet smile. "Yes. But the two of us get along very well so I'm sure you'll have no problem with a slightly longer partnership."

Katashi nearly grimaced. The last month with Michiko had been hell. Three years? Katashi was fairly certain he'd die. "Why would it take so long?"

Katashi instantly regretted questioning her as Michiko started launching into another lecture. "Remember what I said about modelling the messed up fuuinjutsu in Gaara's body? Do you know how hard it would be to calculate the possible outcomes of ten different seals fused into one? Not only are there many uncertain elements and complex equations, but-"

Katashi sighed and held his arms up in surrender. "I get it. I'll try to convince the Kazekage. Can we get on with it?"

Michiko gave him a pleasant smile. "Of course. I greatly appreciate your understanding."

Michiko placed her hand on the blank circle on the crate. The circle expanded and morphed into a square, twisting the designs around it and unlocking the seal. Akio lifted the top off and four sides of the crate were detached from one another by Michiko. They were joined together by fuuinjutsu alone, presumably to avoid damage when lifting the calculator out of the crate. The calculator was basically a huge rectangular block of plastic and metal with a screen and keyboard protruding from the middle. It had a couple of holes presumably for connection purposes and many screws and compartments. It looked like it could be broken down into smaller pieces. Given that Michiko had chosen to ship it whole rather than break it down probably meant that the assembly time was long, which might explain why she was so reluctant to have it taken apart.

Michiko glanced over at them. "The room is pretty cramped. I would appreciate it if you waited outside."

The room was a little cluttered, but Michiko had made sure that there was sufficient space. However, Katashi had basically admitted to being incapable of detecting any security threats concerning the calculator so he didn't see a point in arguing. The ANBU were watching her anyway so Katashi and Chie left the room.

"Nara-chan is really confident in her skills." Chie commented. "Her assistant isn't bad as well."

Katashi sighed again. "I'm not sure whether that's a good thing. Nara-kun never listens to a word I say. If you want to get to her you have to pass through her assistant first. The only time she'll ever eat is when Akio-kun pesters her."

Chie gave an amused smile that was way too close to Michiko's for comfort. "So she's one of those? That'll be a bit of a pain. I suppose everyone has their quirks."

"No kidding."

Chie laughed. "You are more of a Nara than Nara-chan is, not that Nara-chan resembles one at all."

"Really? I'm not particularly smart. Nara-kun works hard, but she's got the brains, the shadows and the looks."

"I've met many Nara. She gives off quite a different vibe."

"It doesn't matter. What matters is how troublesome this all is."

"Perhaps." Chie looked over her shoulder. "Nara-chan seems to be finishing soon. Don't mention anything to her, won't you?"

"It's none of my business."

As Chie walked away, Katashi could only remember how just a year ago, he had considered looking into Konoha women after multiple failed relationships with the tough and violent kunoichi of Suna. But if these two were any indication of what a Konoha kunoichi was like, maybe looking into civilians might be worth a shot.


	25. Final Phase I

It was a real relief when the examination tournament rolled around. Akio was really worried about Michiko's health. She never ate right, she never slept right and she constantly put herself in dangerous and stressful situations. She took over three hours to finish a couple of sandwiches and drank more coffee than she ate. Despite how good she was at handling other people, Michiko was fucking terrible at taking care of herself. Akio wasn't sure how he was going to convince her, but he wasn't going to let her continue like that for a whole year. If the only way Michiko time would take a break was when sparring with an interesting opponent for her, then so be it.

Akio was quite worried about how he would fare himself. Itachi had written up an even more long-ass report than usual on all the teams participating and they were supposed to be the cream of the crop this time around. Michiko's orders were to completely crush them. Akio wasn't stupidly good like Itachi or amazingly smart like Michiko. He didn't have a trump card jutsu or even a specialisation. At every single training session, at every single team interaction, Akio was always reminded of how he was the weakest and how he would never compare to Michiko, Itachi or Noa.

But he wasn't going to fail. He would not drag the team down.

It was a single elimination tournament and the rules were same as always. Fight until the other was unable to or the referee called it, surrendering was permitted, winning didn't mean promotion, yadda yadda. The fights were 'randomly' generated by a computer program after every fight so contestants couldn't pre-prepare as much. For the first time in nearly ten years, there were no contestants from the host nation and Suna was quite pissed off at Michiko for that. Judging by how gleeful Michiko was when Katashi told her, she really hated Suna.

Michiko was worryingly attached to the Suna jinchuuriki. She fussed over him, showered him with affection and once even took a whole hour out of her schedule just to cook for him. The way she regularly dispensed life lessons was disturbingly similar to how she treated Itachi. Akio had mixed feeling about the whole arrangement. It made Michiko happy (she looked really cute when she was happy), but it ran the risk of ending up like her relationship to Itachi (which caused Michiko to freeze over and royally pissed Akio off).

Speaking of the bastard, all 12 contestants gathered in a VIP area that gave a perfect view of the arena. There was the Iwa team, the Kiri swords team and a Kusa team. According to Itachi's report, their power levels were all enough to get them promoted. The Iwa and Kiri teams were glaring at them while the Kusa team was merely on guard. Itachi stood silently before the railings looking like a fucking princess doll as usual with his stupidly long hair waving in the wind and the sunlight somehow managing to frame him perfectly.

Whereas Itachi looked like he belonged on the front cover of a fucking hair care magazine, Michiko was as grubby as usual, sitting behind a table mashing buttons on her handheld calculator. She didn't do as much exercise so she spent longer periods without bathing. Akio had to wipe her face and hands and convince her to change clothes for the tournament while Michiko was more concerned that her handheld calculated wasn't as powerful as the main calculator and many important functions were missing. Akio had convinced her that she could just save work that could be used to fill the time between matches and that she didn't need to pull even more all-nighters. Michiko had been providing less resistance to his care and listened to him more, but every day was still an uphill battle to get her to eat or bathe. Akio had cooked just in case Michiko finished or felt like eating, but that was very unlikely. He'd even entertained the idea of bathing her for ten seconds before realising that was completely inappropriate and he didn't need Michiko picking any more weird habits.

(He also won't be able to bathe her without popping a boner and completely embarrassing himself but that was beside the point.)

Akio set a bento in front of Michiko. "You should eat a little." Akio opened the box and Michiko looked up when she smelt the takoyaki. After staring at it for a second, she popped one in her mouth and went back to doing math equations and jotting down potential answers.

Akio sighed in relief. He lined out all the eight boxes of food that he had prepared before her and made sure they were in arm's reach. They won't grow cold because of the seals on the bento boxes so he opened them up. Eight boxes of food might seem like a lot, but spoons took up most of the space. He found that Michiko was more likely to eat if the food was bite-sized and easy to pick up. He ended up cutting all the food and placing a toothpick on every single piece. He was happy when Michiko started eating more before realising that he couldn't do that for important staples like rice and noodles. Thus, he placed them in large spoons with bits of meat and small vegetables in them so Michiko didn't have to spoon it herself. But then he realised that Michiko was less likely to eat them because the spoons were too big and they were more likely to drop food. This lead to an experiment in which he bought a huge variety of spoons to see which was the best one. Once he had one that was just the right size and caused minimum spillage, he bought 50 of them and donated the leftover spoons from the experiment.

It was only after Katashi pointed it out that Akio realised that maybe he had caught a little of Team 11's insanity. Whatever. It was for Michiko's sake.

"Hey, Uchiha! Isn't that a little hypocritical of you?" The Iwa kunoichi in the corner said. Akio proceeded with opening up the bento. "Uchiha, I'm talking to you!" Akio glanced over at Itachi, but Itachi didn't seem to react to the kunoichi. Shrugging, Akio continued his task.

Growling, the kunoichi stomped over to Akio and reached to grab him by the shoulder. Akio grabbed the kunoichi's arm before she reached him.

"What's your problem?" Akio asked.

"Listen when people are talking to you, you bastard!"

"Oh, you were talking to me?"

"Who else would I be talking about?"

"I thought you were referring to Itachi. I quit being an Uchiha quite a while back. Since the Uchiha are huge crybabies who kick up a fuss over the smallest things, not many people refer to me by that name."

The kunoichi yanked her arm back and crossed her arms. "Whatever. What's your deal?"

"What do you mean?"

The kunoichi snorted. "Don't play dumb. You were going on about how women belong in the kitchen during the first phase and now you're serving lunch to a girl. What's your deal?"

"Oh, that?" Akio glanced down at Michiko. Michiko shrugged. "Michiko-chan told me to be like that."

"Hah?"

One of the kunoichi's teammates grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back to her group but she stubbornly resisted. "I told you it was an act. Didn't you hear the rumours? That Nara girl attracted and provoked every team she could and then slaughtered them. She probably provoked everyone on purpose so she could wipe them out."

The third Iwa-nin looked at Michiko doubtfully. "That little girl? She's like, only 15. It's probably the little Uchiha over there."

"No." The Kiri kunoichi spoke up. "I saw her myself. With that much blood on her, she must've killed at least 10 people."

The Iwa kunoichi turned to Michiko. "So? What's your deal?"

Michiko didn't bother looking up. "All inquiries are to be directed to my PA."

The Iwa kunoichi slammed her hands down on the table. "Look at people when they are talking to you! Argh! This is why I hate Konoha ninja! They're all privileged and arrogant clan brats who think that they're all powerful and that everyone is beneath them!"

Akio grabbed her shoulder and pulled her off the table. "Don't disturb Michiko-chan when she's working."

The Iwa kunoichi slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me, you sexist pig!"

Akio looked down at her and snorted. "Who would ever want to? I'll happily ignore your existence if you don't bother us."

"Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"I could ask the same thing."

"You-"

A Suna chuunin burst through the door. Despite his violent entry, his voice was one of disdainful displeasure. "As long as you carry your forehead protector, your behaviour reflects upon your village. You are capable enough to be considered for promotion and are viewed as adults by your country. Many of you have even reached physical maturity. I would have thought that such disputes were beneath you. If you would like to be taken seriously, I suggest handling the situation with a little more tact and civility."

The Iwa kunoichi hissed in annoyance but was smart enough not to rebut against a foreign senior officer and stomped back to her teammates. Akio sat on the table and the chuunin stood by the door. The 12 genin waited in tense silence for a few more minutes before the announcement speakers blared to life.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am Katashi, the proctor for the final phase of the Sunagakure Chuunin Examination. In this tournament, the matches will be randomly generated by a computer and the results will be displayed on the screen behind me. The rules are the same as any other chuunin exam tournament so those unfamiliar with the rules may want to refer to the pamphlets located near the refreshment booths. Without further ado, we will begin generating our first match-up." The delivery of the announcement was completely flat and failed to inspire any sort of hype. Akio was fairly sure that Katashi was reading off a script as the announcer took over and begun to do a better job.

Akio snorted in amusement. "Katashi's pretty horrible at this whole thing."

Michiko had temporarily diverted some of her attention to the screen that was quickly flashing through names. "Almost all the males I come across display some degree of emotional incompetence. He's not that special."

The first name was decided and the name 'Suimi' appeared. The crowd cheered and the second name began generating.

"Does that include me?" Akio asked.

"Obviously."

"You said almost. Is there anyone in particular?"

'Suimi' was apparently the Kiri kunoichi and her opponent was a Kusa-nin. The Kiri kunoichi grinned as she turned to her opponent.

"Looks like it's going to be you and me, buddy. Let's go."

The two headed down to the arena. Now that the match was decided, Michiko turned back to her calculations. "Remember that friend I mentioned?"

"You mean the one with lots of money?"

"Yes. He's about the most emotionally stable male that I'm close to. He's even a little above average by my standards."

"You're close? But I thought he was just a friend."

"He is the first person I took under my wing in the last 13 years of my life."

"Oh." As her PA, part of his duties involved remembering as much of Michiko's network as possible. He knew he didn't know all of it and probably would never, just because having someone who knew everything was stupid. But Michiko was publicly announcing her connections with this mysterious person that Akio had never heard of.

Akio was curious. Akio was very, very curious and maybe just a little bitter.

The two of them took their positions on opposite sides of the field. The crowd cheered and placed bets as Katashi signalled for the start of the match.

Suimi immediately dashed forward, brandishing her sword as the Kusa-nin ran through an earth jutsu. Earth was strong against Water and Suimi's face twisted in displeasure as spikes erupted from the ground, blocking her path. The Kusa-nin was a ninjutsu type and he used another earth jutsu. Slabs of the ground rose and moved to trap Suimi. Meanwhile, Suimi sheathed her sword, grabbed her water canteen and emptied it. Blades of water sliced the base of the earth slabs and she pulled out a scroll. She unrolled the scroll facing outwards and Akio instantly recognised it as a storage scroll tuned for liquids. The Kusa-nin guessed what the scroll was for and immediately threw shuriken at the scroll but it was too late. A flood of water gushed out of the scroll, knocking the shuriken off course. Suimi unravelled the scroll even further and continued unleashing more water into the arena.

It was beginning to look bad for the Kusa-nin and he backed off before the water could touch him. Michiko had used similar tactics before. Between her shadows and her water jutsu, Akio knew from experience that touching the water could be deadly. If the Kusa-nin stayed in the water and if he couldn't stop Suimi soon, he would be at a crippling disadvantage.

But while Suimi was busy emptying her scrolls, the Kusa-nin could've shaped the terrain to fit him or at least surrounded Suimi with his earth jutsu. Akio didn't know much about earth jutsu, but Noa used some and she wasn't that great at it. Maybe the Kusa-nin wasn't that good at earth jutsu? But wasn't he a ninjutsu type? Maybe he was the weak link of their team.

"What clan are you from?" The Kusa-nin asked.

"How do you know I'm from a clan?" Suimi replied.

"Scrolls like that are crazy expensive. With Kiri's economy, that's the only way you can afford such tactics."

Suimi smirked. "I am Asaka Suimi. Have you heard of the Asaka clan?"

"Can't say I have."

"Then no wonder you're trying such obvious tactics."

Suddenly, sharp streams of water erupted from around Suimi and the Kusa-nin. The Kusa-nin barely escaped with a long gash down his left leg. Akio frowned. The water hadn't been very fast. It didn't even look well controlled. Even if it had been a surprise attack, the Kusa-nin had been fairly slow at escaping. It seemed as if his speed was even worse than Akio's and Akio knew he was slow as fuck.

As the crowd looked on in confusion, the announcer explained.

"It seems as if he tried to use the plants to suck up the water, but our Kiri kunoichi saw through him! She maintained a chakra connection to the water sucked up by the grass and caused the grass around him to explode with water!"

By now, Suimi had moved onto her second scroll. Akio wondered why she wasn't attacking with the water she already had. Michiko could defeat Akio with half that water. Then again, Michiko was all about precision. Maybe she preferred huge, flashy water jutsu? The water that had exploded from the grass had been pretty wild and unconcentrated. She probably wasn't that good at chakra control.

The Kusa-nin attacked head on with an earth jutsu. More spikes erupted violently from the ground, sending shards of earth flying out as they headed towards Suimi. Suimi grimaced but danced out of the way and continued releasing water. This continued for a while, but earth jutsu were clunky at best and Suimi was faster than the Kusa-nin, if only by a bit. She was still a lot slower than even Akio himself.

"Would you mind telling me more about the Asaka clan?" The Kusa-nin asked.

"Trying to gather information? Ah, well. It doesn't really matter. The Asaka clan doesn't have a kekkei genkai, but it has a hiden ninjutsu. Five variants, to be exact. Sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. It heightens that sense so much one can sense chakra even when not using the jutsu. Usually, an Asaka will have one they specialise in and most can do three by the time they hit adulthood."

"No wonder you were able to detect the grass sucking up your water."

"Yes. Can you guess which variant I specialise in?"

"Sound?"

"Correct! How did you guess?"

"You have a long fringe. It could get in the way of sight. Touch and smell would've made it hard for you to sense that tactic. You haven't been sticking your tongue out so taste is probably out. You winced at my loud attack right after you used your hiden ninjutsu to detect my grass, making sound the most likely."

"Not bad. So what are you stalling for?"

"Nothing in particular. It's just that the more water you release, the better it will be for me."

Suimi frowned. "What do you mean?"

The Kusa-nin smirked. "Let's start the true battle."

The Kusa-nin began walking towards Suimi's water. Suimi's frown deepened and she put away her scroll, readying her hands in front of her. As the Kusa-nin approached the water's edge, he slammed his hands down into the water.

"Lightning!" The Kusa-nin yelled.

The water was electrified, but Suimi remained unaffected. Suimi smirked. "A second element? Impressive, but is that all? All Kiri-nin have clothing that make them immune to water electric shocks. Did you think-"

Suimi frowned and her ears twitched. She swore and immediately begun backing away. The spikes that the Kusa-nin had previously created exploded. The force of the explosion knocked her onto the ground, into the water. She let out a scream, but gritted her teeth and used a water jutsu. The water near the Kusa-nin rose to attack him, but he held his arm out.

"Explosion Release!"

The water vaporised at the explosion. So he had a kekkei genkai. That meant that he had kept his explosive chakra within the spikes and set it off. Michiko had been doing that sort of remote detonation long before they met. Not to mention he was using a kekkei genkai, which made it a lot easier for him. Akio supposed he got points for the strategy, but at this rate, he couldn't imagine either of them being promoted based on this fight.

Suimi got to her feet hastily and drew her sword with her left hand, her entire right side still steaming from the electrocution. Her sword crossed with the Kusa-nin's tanto and while it was obvious that she was more familiar with the sword, it was also obvious that her right hand had been her dominant hand. It also didn't help that the Kusa-nin's left hand was shrouded in explosive chakra. Akio frowned. Even if it wasn't her dominant hand, Suimi's attacks were weak and a little too clumsy. Itachi was better at the tanto and he didn't even use it that much. Suimi couldn't even be compared to Michiko's skill. This was her specialisation, right? Unless she could pull out B-ranked jutsu like it was nothing, she was really weak. Given that she needed so much water though, that was unlikely.

As they locked swords, the Kusa-nin used his superior strength to push Suimi's sword aside enough for his left hand to meet her neck. Suimi immediately froze. The hand on her neck was steaming, a warning that he could activate his chakra at any time.

Suimi gave a small laugh. "I should've known. For a genin to have two elements, it's usually because they have a kekkei genkai. But are you really fine with revealing your trump card so early in the game?"

The Kusa-nin smirked. "There seems to be a couple of monsters this time around, but all I need is one good match. So what are you stalling for?"

Suimi crackled. "Nothing in particular. I surrender!"

As soon as the Katashi gave the signal, the announcer immediately responded.

"And that's the match, ladies and gentlemen! What a surprising turn of events! The victory goes to Kusagakure!"

The Kusa-nin removed his hand and Suimi sheathed her sword.

"You're hilarious. I'd ask for a rematch, but I don't think I'm up for it." Suimi gestured to her burnt arm. "Want to grab some coffee after you lose?"

The Kusa-nin raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me out?"

"Something like that."

The Kusa-nin gave Suimi a once-over. Suimi was a fairly pretty girl with chocolate hair, big blue eyes and tanned skin. She had a wider figure, which was typical of Kiri girls, defined muscles and a C-cupped bust. Michiko was still ten times prettier in Akio's opinion and she was only 13, leaving a lot of room to grow. Akio was sure that if he got Michiko to eat better and take regular baths, she would be the most beautiful girl in the world.

(Akio was somewhat aware that he was a little biased but whatever. Michiko was still the best.)

The Kusa-nin grinned. "I guess I'll take you up on that offer."

Katashi cleared his throat. "If you are done flirting, we need to carry out the next match. Please leave."

As they exited the arena, medics moved to help Suimi but she pushed them away. After a little argument, the two of them returned to the VIP area with a medic tending to Suimi so she could watch the matches.

The Kiri-nin with the broadsword sighed. "Suimi sure lost quickly. I expected better, but she was always a real bitch."

Akio glanced at him. "Really? She didn't seem that strong. Her chakra control was shit and her kenjutsu was average."

The Kiri-nin frowned at him. "Then you mustn't have looked very hard. She could remotely control water within an enemy's jutsu and she can wield swords in her non-dominant hand."

Michiko and Itachi had been doing long distance elemental manipulation within the first year of training and Akio could do it within the second year. Being ambidextrous was a given and right from the start, Michiko and Itachi had no preferred hand. Akio had a tendency to use his right hand, but Seishiro had beaten that out of him before he died. Neither the Kusa-nin nor the Kiri kunoichi had displayed a level of skill that was impressive or even unusual outside of their clan jutsu. Suimi hadn't done anything Michiko couldn't have done when they first met three years ago. Considering that water jutsu and kenjutsu were likely her specialisations, Akio could only view her as weak.

Akio returned his attention back to the screen as names begun flashing. "She didn't do anything impressive."

He flashed a shark-like grin. "You sure talk big. I hope you can back it up."

Akio snorted. "If being on Team 11 has taught me anything, it's that empty words get you nowhere." For someone like that bastard, that is. Itachi was shit with words, but a smart mouth like Michiko's could get you to places.

The screen flashed, revealing Itachi's name. The crowd went berserk and waited with bated breath for the second name. Itachi's opponent turned out to be the Kusa kunoichi. Itachi casually leapt over the railings, directly into the arena that was at least five stories down. The Kusa kunoichi looked a little nervous and received encouragement from her teammates before she took a much more normal route down.

Akio watched on in boredom as Itachi whirled into action the instant Katashi gave the signal. Without even activating his sharingan or bothering to draw any weapons, he crossed the distance between them in a blink of an eye and punched her in the gut. The girl coughed up her breakfast. Before the vomit hit the ground, Itachi was behind the girl and he kicked her across the arena. The girl slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the arena, causing the reinforced wall to crack.

The girl stood up unsteadily and stumbled. Her hands glowed with chakra and she got into a taijutsu pose. Her equipment didn't hint at any specialisations and she carried a few more weapons than usual, suggesting that she was taijutsu-focused.

Itachi stood in a casual pose as he waited for the girl to catch her breath. The audience gasped and the announcer quickly explained as the civilians couldn't see what had happened.

All of the participants except for Michiko were now completely focused on the match if they hadn't been already.

"I couldn't see anything!" exclaimed the Iwa kunoichi. "Damn, what sort of monsters are you hiding, Konoha?"

The Iwa kunoichi threw Akio a glare before turning back to the match. Akio looked at her in surprise. She couldn't see what was happening? Didn't Michiko say that all the Iwa team's members were in the upper-middle chuunin level? Then again, Itachi was definitely jounin-level and Akio was used to seeing him move.

Suimi spoke up. "I thought it was the Nara girl who slaughtered all those people, but this chibi Uchiha could definitely do the same thing."

The Kiri-nin with the broadsword glared at her. "That kid? Look at how nicely he's treating his opponent, you stupid clan cunt. The Nara bitch was definitely the one who sliced up all those genin."

Suimi rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Ian. Quit picking a fight. I'm just saying it's possible. What do you think, Umihiko?"

Umihiko replied in a monotone, deadpan manner not unlike Itachi's. "Improbable. Profile incomplete."

Ian glared at the Suimi. "See?"

Suimi glared back. "He said it was improbable, not impossible and also that he had incomplete information."

The two of them glared at each other for a few more seconds. The profile had said that their teamwork was amazing for Kiri-nin, but Akio supposed that just meant they didn't seriously try to kill each other over petty disputes.

The match continued soon after that so the Kiri-nin's attentions were refocused. Seeing as the Kusa girl wasn't going to attack him, Itachi slowly walked towards her. The girl edged her way towards Itachi as well, clearly still trying to recover from his attacks. The moment Itachi was in range, the girl threw a punch, only to miss by a whole meter as Itachi sidestepped and slammed her into the ground from behind. The girl hit the ground and bounced a couple of times before she rolled away and struggled to get up.

Akio was mildly surprised at how weak the girl was. Wasn't this supposed to be the top of this chuunin exam's participants? Despite being taijutsu-focused, the girl's punch had been slow as fuck and had practically no power behind it. Taijutsu was Itachi's weakest area and while Itachi's speed was a bit higher than Michiko's, his physical strength was fucking terrible. Akio could beat Itachi in an arm-wrestling contest with little effort even if Itachi used chakra and both his arms. Itachi hadn't even been going that fast and the girl was struggling after three hits. But then again, the Kusa team was the weakest this time round, having barely met Michiko's standards and everyone looked pathetic when compared to Itachi.

Before the girl could get up, Itachi pulled off his shurikenjutsu flawlessly, throwing 20 shuriken in under two seconds. Every single one just scratched her. They were so precise that even though they all made contact and their edges were razor sharp, none of the 20 scratches drew any blood. The girl was so stunned that she froze, clearly recognising the vast difference in skill. Itachi casually walked up to her with a kunai in hand.

As the girl contemplated her options and begun to shakily reach for her equipment pouch, Itachi made the kunai catch fire.

While the civilians cheered, the ninja in the stands were silent and wide-eyed. The atmosphere thickened so rapidly it was impossible not to notice. Their thoughts were obvious. To the civilians, it would just seem like a fancy trick, but all ninja understood the implications. Itachi had been doing one-handed genjutsu and sealless genjutsu for a long time, but while genjutsu require more control, it was also easier to do sealless once mastered because it was yin-based.

Elemental ninjutsu was a different story. One's chakra was comprised of different ratios of the two overarching elements, yin and yang, and the five elemental elements. It was easy to separate two elements, but juggling five was a lot more difficult. Being able to heat up a kunai with no seals was a common test in separating the elements. It meant that one was able to differentiate between the elements just enough to use them separately. The hotter the kunai, the better your control. But causing it to catch fire? That spoke of mastery, of being able to isolate an element until it was almost pure. It was the first step to nintaijutsu and that was what made nintaijutsu an S-ranked field. Akio knew that he would never reach that level no matter how hard he tried and every ninja had felt the struggle with their own chakra.

In other words, Itachi's little display put him very close to S-ranked territory at 9-years-old in a field where every adult ninja had wrestled with. Itachi's taijutsu was obviously jounin-level and Itachi's ninjutsu would be S-ranked in at most a year or two. Then what of his genjutsu, the pride of the Uchiha? How monstrous could this chubby-faced kid be?

The dumbfounded and almost crushed reactions of the ninja audience were easily understood by Akio. After all, it was something he felt everyday.

In the five seconds it took Itachi to approach the Kusa girl slowly, the civilians began to realise that there was something wrong from the ninja's reactions and the cheers started to die down. Itachi pointed the flaming kunai at the girl.

The girl, still stunned and on the ground, looked away. It would have been deadly in a real fight, but she knew that she had no way of winning.

"I surrender." The girl muttered to the ground.

The crowd couldn't hear her mutter, but Katashi did and he signalled to the announcer.

"We have a surrender! The match goes to Uchiha Itachi from Konoha!"


	26. Final Phase II

As Itachi moved to collect his weapons, heated arguments and conspiracy theories erupted amongst the ninja in the stands and the genin in the VIP area.

"What the fuck was that?" exclaimed the Kusa-nin that fought Suimi. He would be up against Itachi next and he had definitely been right about needing a good match. Akio wasn't sure if he would have a shot at promotion from his match against Suimi.

Most of the genin seemed to agree with the Kusa-nin's statement. But out of all the teams, the Kiri team seemed to have the easiest time accepting what had just happened.

"I guess insane geniuses are real." shrugged Suimi. "Not that the Nara bitch gave me any reason to doubt that."

"That's impossible!" The Iwa kunoichi seemed incredibly unnerved. "How old is he? 11? Jounin-level is explainable, but S-ranked? At 11? That's insane!"

Akio snorted. "For your information, the bastard's 9-years-old and almost a third as insane as Michiko-chan. He'll be legendary by the time he's old enough to shave."

At this, Umihiko, the silent Kiri-nin, walked up to Akio. He leant in uncomfortably close and his voice dipped into a whisper. "Chibi assassin, Nara mastermind. Who are you?"

It took Akio a few seconds to understand what he meant. Right from the start of team 11, Akio had always been the filler. Someone who was thrown into a world of monsters and maniacs on the whim of higher powers he could never hope to beat. Surrounded by Itachi, Michiko and Noa, Akio was often an afterthought when one spoke of Team 11. Not a day passed where he wasn't reminded of it and after 3 years together, Akio had accepted it. He was the filler. Next to them, he was practically useless and everyone knew it.

But for the first time ever, someone was questioning that.

Umihiko and Akio stared at each other for a few seconds, their faces almost touching before the Iwa kunoichi interrupted.

"UCHIHA! Answer when people are talking to you!"

Umihiko backed away and Akio turned to the annoying Iwa kunoichi who was trying to get his attention. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's not Uchiha."

"Whatever. So? Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

The kunoichi growled. "Did the chibi use a seal to set his kunai on fire?"

Akio blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb! An S-ranked 9-year-old is impossible! But the Uchiha are genjutsu types and genjutsu users are sneaky, cheating bastards. A seal that causes fire is simple and can be activated easily without suspicions. Having the Nara rig all his weapons would be easy."

Akio snorted in amusement. "Whatever floats your boat. I guess that's much easier to believe, but it doesn't matter. You'll never beat him. No one here can expect for Michiko-chan."

Most looked at Michiko skeptically, though the looks were now accompanied by wariness and uncertainty. Michiko ignored everything around her and continued going through piles of work at unthinkable speeds.

"Is the girl really that strong?" asked the remaining Kusa-nin.

Suimi rolled her eyes. "Is it really that hard to believe? At a time like this, of course Konoha has to bust out the big guns in front of Iwa."

"Looks like you aren't as dumb as I thought, clan cunt." Ian jabbed.

"Shut up, slummie. I'm surprised you even know how to think."

"Is that the best you've got? You're stupid and you know it. That's why you have to resort to insults on social status."

"Tsk. Hypocrite. Half of your problems with me is because of my status. That's why you can't think of anything better than 'stupid' or 'clan cunt'."

"You-"

The Suna chuunin by the door cleared his throat very loudly and glared at them. "As a gentle reminder, I would like to point out that your combat ability isn't the only thing evaluated. I suggest you clear up your dispute swiftly and check the display screen."

Those who hadn't been paying attention glanced at the screen. It was Ian vs. The final Kusa-nin.

Akio looked at Ian. "Let's hope you're stronger than your teammate."

Ian laughed. "Suimi's a spoilt brat. I'm not as careless as her."

Ignoring the silent glare from Suimi, Ian and the Kusa-nin left and the crowd got louder as the announcer tried to encourage them to place bets.

"We have another Kiri versus Kusa match-up! How will this match turn out? Please be sure to place your bets!"

Akio sighed. Suna had jacked the prices of the tournament up after the recent disaster and did everything it could to encourage the rich nobles to gamble. Since only rich civilians, nobles and VIPs attended, the increase in price didn't affect them that much and many of nobles even bought extra tickets to increase public image by helping Suna's economy. Most were here to donate and show their support in the wake of the invasion. Naturally, Suna was doing whatever it could to suck the nobles dry with high stakes gambling and ultra expensive souvenirs. But Wind Country nobles weren't that rich so they focused on Fire's nobles with exotic foods and lots of sparkling golden shit. All this political stuff gave Akio a headache, but he had to keep up or he'd never make sense of Michiko's conversations.

He was getting better, but it wasn't enough. Michiko and Itachi would've figured out ten times more a hundred times faster.

Ian and the Kusa-nin took their sides on the battlefield. Both of them took off the moment the match started and clashed swords. It was a heavy, close-ranged combat fight with neither side giving the other any time for hand seals or advanced strategies. It was a, once again, not-so-impressive show of pure skill and reflexes with everything hinging on the combatants' taijutsu skills. Ian wasn't as slow as Suimi and his physical strength seemed to be okay. He was a lot more ninjutsu heavy than his opponent, which was probably why the Kusa-nin kept pressing him. The water from Suimi's fight was abundant and she hadn't saturated it with her chakra, clearly so that her teammates could use it as well. The Kusa-nin would be at a disadvantage in a ninjutsu fight.

But as the battle dragged on, it was apparent that Ian's stamina was a lot better than the Kusa-nin's. Slowly but surely, the Kusa-nin took more and more damage. The match ended rather anticlimactically with Ian slamming his broadsword into the Kusa-nin's neck. It would've sliced the Kusa-nin's head right off, but chakra strings wrapped around both the ninja's blades. Katashi had reacted quickly, but the Kusa-nin still had a deep gash across his neck. Katashi called the match and withdrew his strings as the medics immediately rushed over to the Kusa-nin's side.

The crowd gasped and burst into a mixture of boos and gossipy whispers as Ian exited the arena. Akio wasn't sure whether it was because the Kusa-nin was critically injured or because the Kusa-nin hadn't died. Maybe both.

The Kusa-nin was carried out on a stretcher as the bloodlust from his teammates increased. The VIP area was quickly filled with a hostile atmosphere as Ian walked through the door. The Kusa-nin's teammates gave Ian death glares but couldn't say anything. It wasn't like they could do anything about it. The girl lost horribly to Itachi and the guy was up against Itachi next. Unless they wanted to murder Ian illegally, they couldn't really do anything without being branded as traitors.

The genin waited in tense silence as the announcer wound the crowd down from the fight and hyped them up again. The names flashed and the match would be between him and the Iwa kunoichi.

The Iwa kunoichi crackled and gave Akio a vicious grin. "Looks like I get to beat the crap out of you. Get ready to lose to a girl, Konoha trash."

Why did everyone automatically assume he was a sexist asshole? Okay, so maybe he wasn't the nicest guy around. He insulted girls a lot but he was an asshole to everyone! Not just girls. Between Michiko and Noa, Akio was pretty sure that every gram of sexism that could possibly exist within him had been forcibly removed.

Akio rolled his eyes. "My jounin sensei is a girl and she beats the crap out of everyone she sees, me included. With two stupidly stubborn and aggressive females on my team, I'm pretty sure I've lost to girls more often than guys."

Ian snorted at Akio. "Looks like I'll be fighting you next. Good luck defeating this bitch."

The Iwa kunoichi's eyes flashed as she snarled and leant forward aggressively. "What did you say?!"

The Suna chuunin by the door cleared his throat so loudly it sounded like he was coughing up a dozen hairballs. "In case some of you are unaware, a certain level of diplomacy is expected of chuunin and a lack of tact may have a great impact on your chances at promotion."

The Iwa kunoichi reigned in her anger and stormed past the chuunin. Akio waited a few seconds before following, not wanting to cross paths with her on the way down.

They took their sides on the field. The kunoichi bent her knees slightly and got her hands out in front of her. Akio recalled that her file said she was a ninjutsu type. While the girl seemed eager to start, Akio couldn't really find it in him to give a shit. He didn't really care about the tournament or the promotion. He had just wanted Michiko to get some fresh air and some exercise. His place was beside Michiko and a new vest wasn't going to change anything.

But Michiko's orders were absolute and Akio hadn't gone insane enough to ignore them.

The moment Katashi signalled for the start of the match, the girl began an earth jutsu. Her seal speed was okay, Akio could see everything easily. Her jutsu felt half-assed and he dodged her earth spear by a large margin. Akio's only exposure to earth jutsu was through Noa so he didn't know much. Maybe the girl was just testing him?

The girl began to throw more earth projectiles at him, occasionally mixing things up with a smokescreen or a trick attack. Nothing really interesting. Noa was a very thorough, very vicious and very creative instructor. During the daily 12-hour training sessions in the last three years, Akio had been continuously exposed to innovative ways of stabbing the shit out of someone and had learned to think on his feet or die. In hindsight, it wasn't surprising that this Iwa girl didn't do something he hadn't been trained to take. Akio was still a little disappointed after all her talk, but maybe she was holding a trump card of some sort. Like that Explosion Release Kusa-nin. But if she was smart enough to hide a major card that Itachi missed, then she should've already won. Maybe she was hiding it because she didn't feel that Akio was worth using it on.

Or maybe Akio was overthinking it and he should just attack instead of dodging and deflecting like a fucking idiot.

Akio created a flamethrower massive enough to engulf the space between them. Caught off guard, the Iwa kunoichi was forced to abandon her jutsu midway. She winced at the chakra recoil as she narrowly dodged the flamethrower, shock and confusion readily apparent on her face.

Akio was already running towards her while throwing stream after stream of fire. The girl created a thick wall of earth to block the fire. Akio paused in his advance. If the girl was blocking off her line of sight, she was probably planning something that she didn't want him to see. To confirm his suspicions, Akio threw an explosive tagged shuriken at the earth wall. The earth wall exploded, revealing no one behind. She could have mastered an invisibility jutsu, but it was more likely that she was hiding under the earth as she was an earth user.

Akio took out his explosive tagged shuriken with no noise. In a swift swipe, he threw them on the ground below him. The ground around him exploded but yielded no results. He unleashed a second wave and this time, the girl screamed and emerged as fast as possible.

She suffered mild burns, mainly on her exposed limbs as her gear protected her torso and thighs. Akio charged at her. She tried to dodge, but the kunai he carried buried itself into her left shoulder. Akio threw a punch with his other hand. It hit her squarely in the jaw and she was thrown back by the impact. The kunai dug deeper and dragged across her shoulder, cutting half of it from her body and severely decreasing, if not removing, her ninjutsu abilities.

The girl stood up and Akio kicked her in the gut. She flew across the stadium and slammed into the wall. Akio had aimed it so she flew right into the crater Itachi had left when he had flung his opponent in a similar way. The girl slid down the wall but landed unsteadily on her feet. Undeterred, she threw kunai with explosive tags at him. Akio could've just dodged it, but he remembered Michiko's orders to show off. With such a trivial opponent, Akio hadn't really had a chance. He took out four shuriken and threw them. They cut off all the explosive tags from the 16 kunai by bouncing off each other. Since the girl had relied on explosive tags, she had just been aiming at his general area. Akio didn't even have to move as all the kunai missed their mark.

The girl clearly had a concussion, but she didn't surrender. Akio sighed. It seemed like he would have to show her that she had no chances of winning. He slipped a small scroll out of his pouch and unravelled it with a flick of his hand. With his other hand, he unsealed the foldable fuuma shuriken. After popping the scroll back into his equipment pouch, he unfolded the fuuma shuriken. The girl gasped as she recognised the kanji '爆' inscribed on it. Even if she couldn't read all the engravings, it signified that the shuriken had an explosive seal carved into it. Specialised weapons like these were crazy expensive, enough to buy three hundred good shuriken. Given that this particular one was a single-use weapon, virtually no one had one.

"There is no way of escaping this attack." Akio proclaimed. "Even if you dodge the shuriken, you cannot get out of the radius of the blast. Surrender."

The girl looked taken aback for a second before her face twisted into a sneer. "Like you'd have the guts to kill. You are just a soft-hearted Konoha baby. You are not a real ninja!"

Akio gaped at her for a second before resisting the urge to facepalm. Why the fuck was everyone in this goddamned tournament so fucking dumb and pathetic? Talking shit about everyone before matches where killing was legal, showcasing team disputes in front of foreign officials with a huge say in your career, outright explaining the inner working of one's jutsu in the middle of a death match and taunting an opponent who could kill you with a flick of their wrist? What the fuck was wrong with these people? How the fuck did they make it to this tournament and why did all of them have a death wish?

Akio let out a frustrated sigh and got into position. Michiko's orders were absolute. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Just so you know, I'm counting this as assisted suicide, not murder."

Akio threw the fuuma shuriken. The girl's eyes widened as she saw her death rushing towards her, her mouth desperately forming the words 'I surrender'. Suddenly, the shuriken slowed down mid-flight and chakra strings wrapped around it. Akio briefly registered that Katashi had interfered with his attack. He barely had enough time to think 'Oh SHIT' before the explosion occurred.

Akio was a lot closer to the blast than the Iwa girl and was thrown back by it while she remained mostly unaffected. The heat scorched his skin and he hit the ground hard, bouncing and rolling hard enough to leave small craters in his wake.

Before he had time to assess his injuries, a huge, all-encompassing explosion of unholy bloodlust spread across the field. The chakra insensitive civilians looked on in confusion as every ninja displayed a drastic switch in gear. Weapons were drawn, hands were at the ready and all the newbs shat their pants in terror. Only two were unaffected.

Akio's face fixed into a blend of a grin and a grimace as he recognised the bloodlust instinctively. He glanced at the Iwa girl who was on her knees trembling in terror, her diminutive form emphasising just how dumb and weak she was. If she had just surrendered, none of this would be happening. Why the fuck was everyone here so pathetically weak and suicidally stupid?

As he glanced up at the VIP area, his eyes met Umihiko's. To most, Umihiko probably looked as emotionless as ever. But Akio had seen that look of burning curiosity on Itachi and Michiko's face too many times not to recognise it. The desire to deconstruct a fascinating puzzle and fully understand it.

Umihiko was looking at Akio as if he were interesting.

The realisation struck Akio like lightning. Akio's brain temporarily froze as he attempted to process the revelation. The possibility seemed so inherently wrong that he was left completely dumbfounded.

 _Could it be… could it be that I am actually pretty strong?_

* * *

A huge spike of bloodlust erupted from behind Umihiko. He stiffened instinctively and his head snapped towards the direction it was emitting from. While he was put on instant alert, somehow, he was completely calm internally.

Nara Michiko stood up and slapped a barrier onto her table, her face spelling murder and fury. She walked right past Umihiko and jumped over the ledge, landing into the arena. As she stomped towards Akio, she was intercepted by the referee, resulting in a loud argument.

"Nara-kun, you can't-"

"What the fuck were you thinking, Katashi?! Stopping the match was all well and good, but it was perfectly possible to do so without getting Akio hurt! You are one of the best puppet masters around! Controlling distant objects with chakra strings should be second nature to you! Why should he have to suffer damage from his own attack because of a referee's interference?!"

"The engravings on the shuriken indicated a much smaller range than was expected-"

"You're the fucking Head of the Puppet Brigade! That practically makes you the sealing authority of Sunagakure! Anyone with a monkey's brain could figure out that I was the one who created that explosive seal! Since explosive seals are so widespread that even average ninja can deconstruct them, I'd obviously take advantage of that and throw in some tricks!"

Akio slowly to sat up. "Michiko-chan."

Michiko stared at him and Akio stared back. Michiko sighed and her suffocating bloodlust slowly dispersed. She walked over to him and knelt beside him, scanning his body with medical chakra. The medics gained their bearings. Most rushed over to the Iwa kunoichi and two went to Michiko. As the medics tried to take over Michiko's work, she waved them away.

"It's nothing serious. Just a couple of broken bones, heavy bruising and lots of burns. I'm the sole medic to a team of fire-breathing training maniacs with no sense of self-preservation. Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

The medics looked at Katashi and Katashi nodded. The two medics left Michiko to go help the other medics carry the Iwa kunoichi out of the arena. Michiko carried Akio bridal-style up to the VIP area and continued to heal him there.

Umihiko hoped he wasn't fighting Michiko next. Only they and two Iwa genin remained. If he didn't fight her, they would both defeat the Iwa-nin and fight in the second round. Umihiko had been sure she wouldn't kill him. She could've during the second phase. But his nose never lied. She wasn't feeling really charitable.

Luckily, this wasn't the case and Umihiko was paired up with the rational and calm Iwa-nin. It was for the best. Konoha was 'soft' and they encouraged the image. This contributed to Konoha's status as the wealthiest and most tourist-friendly of the Five Elemental Nations. But right now, they needed to show they were ready for war. Between the Uchiha heir's overwhelming strength and Akio's apathy towards violence, the two of them were already set. Michiko's opponent was shaken up by her but had already calmed down by foolishly reassuring himself that a 13-year-old girl couldn't be stronger than him. Umihiko wasn't sure if she would be irritated, but there was a 30% chance she'd kill him. 20% chance that'd sate her, 65% chance she'd calm down enough.

Umihiko's opponent sighed in relief. To him, the other options were to fight his teammate or Michiko. Suimi and Ian were clearly specced towards heavy damage. 90% chance the Iwa-nin thought Umihiko was a support type.

He would be correct. But Umihiko had a little more going on.

The Iwa-nin jumped over the railings into the arena while Umihiko chose to take the stairs. Finish quickly or draw it out? Umihiko was better at quick battles, but there was an 85% chance that Michiko was a lot stronger than him. If his opponent was weak, he'd draw it out to show off his skills in case Michiko didn't let him.

The two of them stood opposite one another, sizing each other up. Umihiko yawned, covering the lower half of his face as his nose twitched. He formulated a few dozen strategies and drew a few hundred more from his database. Opponent careful and guarded. 70% chance Ninjutsu type. Control over brute force. 75% chance Taijutsu C-ranked. Emotional control above average. 85% chance has minor killing experience. Overall threat level 2.3/10. Projected outcome: 90% victory. If threat level wrong by 0.3, victory below 3%.

Katashi gave the signal and the Iwa-nin started a lightning jutsu. No surprise. His chakra smelled like lightning and a little earth and wind. Umihiko dodged the bolt of lightning and the Iwa-nin threw a few more bolts of lightning. At this point, the both of them were still sizing each other up with the Iwa-nin throwing a few kunai and jutsu while Umihiko dodged and analysed him.

Slowly but surely, the Iwa-nin's attacks begun to stray off point. He pumped unnecessary amounts of chakra into his jutsu and soon, Umihiko just stood there as the Iwa-nin unleashed killing blows at thin air. The audience murmured in confusion while the announcer hesitated on explaining, not wanting to disrupt the match. Umihiko nodded towards the announcer, allowing the announcer to explain. With Suimi as his teammate, auditory genjutsu was a speciality of his. If he could completely control his opponent's perception of the battle, making sure the Iwa-nin didn't hear the announcer or the audience was child's play.

Umihiko watched on with disinterest as the Iwa-nin continued to fire an exponentially increasing amount of intensive jutsu, wasting chakra, projectiles and energy. He had made the Iwa-nin engage in a taijutsu battle with his illusionary self a minute ago to tire him out physically. The audience was getting bored and it was harder to show off with genjutsu, so Umihiko switched gears.

Umihiko seamlessly blended the transition from a taijutsu battle into a ninjutsu battle so the Iwa-nin didn't notice he had been under a genjutsu. He still kept the auditory genjutsu on so the audience couldn't alert him. By now, he had already gathered enough information on his opponent's habits and combat style to beat him without genjutsu. He made sure all of his water attacks were sleek, fast and efficient, slowly slicing his opponent up without going too far so that the referee couldn't call it. The audience cheered as they finally got some bloodshed after the last few minutes of pure genjutsu.

It wasn't long before his opponent surrendered, realising that he couldn't beat Umihiko and that he would only sustain more damage. Since he didn't know that he had been under genjutsu, he might have thought that his performance was enough for a promotion.

This should be enough to guarantee Umihiko's promotion. Umihiko turned away and headed back to the VIP area. He didn't really want the promotion, but Kaichi's orders were absolute. For now though, Umihiko was more interested in Michiko or 'Akua' as she claimed to be.

The announcer stirred the crowd up as Michiko and the Iwa-nin walked onto the field, though this time, it came with some innocent taunting towards the Iwa daimyo watching.

"And now for the final match of the first round, we have another Konoha vs. Iwa matchup! Will all of Konoha's genin make it through to the second round or will Iwa finally win this time? Oh! Here come the betting results! And with three times the support, Konoha takes the lead! And- ah! But wait! The daimyo of Earth Country has just placed an enormous bet on his ninja! With this, the bets on Iwa are now twice that of Konoha!"

The Iwa-nin facing Michiko was clearly unnerved by this information. He had probably been told that he had to make a strong showing in front of the Iwa daimyo and the Iwa daimyo had probably been reassured that this was their best and that they would be able to beat Konoha. Itachi had made a show of his god tier talent and proved that he was already better than most ninja at 9-years-old. The Iwa kunoichi made multiple tactical errors when facing Akio, which only highlighted Konoha's strength when Akio didn't hesitate in brutalising her and making her look weak. Umihiko's opponent had been turned into a joke as he spent most of the match fighting air and was exhausted by the time he actually fought Umihiko and made many mistakes. At this point, winning wasn't enough for Iwa. With the daimyo's bet, the Iwa-nin had to humiliate Michiko in the same way Akio did with the Iwa kunoichi or Iwa would be disgraced.

In other words, all of their careers was doomed. With their strict rule abiding policies, there was no way Iwa would overlook their failures.

The announcer continued to rouse the audience as the Iwa-nin tried to keep his cool in the face of Michiko's excited grin.

Michiko stretched his arms. "I'm still really pissed off, but since I can't beat Katashi up and my regular punching bag is unavailable, I hope you don't mind if I use you as a poor substitute. Having anger cloud me when I fight Umihiko isn't ideal."

This seemed to help the Iwa-nin center himself as he returned the trash talk. "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you, girly. I'm no gentleman and I'm not going to give you any leeway. Even if you beat me, you'd be facing the genjutsu dude who beat up my team leader. You have no way of earning your promotion. How about surrendering now?"

Michiko raised her eyebrows and snickered. "Idiot. You think I'm weaker than Umihiko? Whatever, you are weaker than your two teammates. If I surrendered, you'd have zero chance of beating Umihiko, much less me."

The Iwa-nin seemed really irritated. "What? You think I'm weaker than- Okay, let me set you straight, girly. Sure, my team leader is stronger than me, but I sure as hell am stronger than that bitch who taunted her opponent when he could kill her. You'll regret underestimating me."

Michiko gave a neutral smile. She clearly wasn't taking anything he said seriously. "She's an idiot, but you're definitely in greater need of IQ points."

"You bitch-"

Michiko turned to the referee. "This isn't getting anywhere. Please start the match, Katashi."

The instant the referee started the match, the Iwa-nin flew forward. Before he was halfway there, Michiko had flashed through two (or three?) hand seals and a water dragon slammed into him, knocking him back. Umihiko blinked as he registered that Michiko had performed an A-rank jutsu in two hand seals with virtually no chakra. Before the Iwa-nin gained his bearing, Michiko took out two small 5 by 5cm pieces of paper with a weird… storage seal? Holding one in each hand, she activated them. Out of the tiny pieces of paper came a huge flood of water that easily topped Suimi's two large and expensive scrolls in terms of the volume and chakra saturation of the water it could store as well as the rate the water could be released at.

The Iwa-nin was quickly forced onto the walls. There was so much water that it was ankle deep in the large battle field. The Iwa-nin attempted a large earth wall to try and push back the water. Earth was strong against water after all. Michiko rolled her eyes at his effort and with a single seal, she formed a countless number of water needles that filled the stadium. She sent some of them flying into the wall. The wall didn't stand a chance and immediately crumbled. She sent the rest of them at the Iwa-nin, purposely making them a lot slower than the ones she sent at the wall to play with her prey. Each of them slammed into the wall, leaving small indents in the reinforced wall. The stadium tremored and the attacks left the wall with a distinct polka dot pattern, emphasising how Michiko was just playing.

Michiko had already saturated the water with her chakra beforehand so expanding her shadows across the field was child's play. Her shadows climbed up the walls, undeterred by the Suna sun as they formed explosive seals near the Iwa-nin. Michiko set them off. The Iwa-nin instinctively jumped off the wall. It probably saved his life, but he ended up in the water, squarely in Michiko territory.

Michiko smirked and called back her shadows, choosing to focus them on the water. The Iwa-nin could clearly still move so Michiko had purposely chosen not to paralyse him. With the water covering the area, the Iwa-nin couldn't see the shadows properly.

Michiko's smile took off a distinctive predatory edge and immediately all the Kiri-nin jolted in recognition. Kaichi was generally a calm and charismatic leader, but in the heat of battle, he went completely berserk.

Bloodthirsty Michiko looked exactly like bloodthirsty Kaichi.

Even the way she spoke and the way she taunted the Iwa-nin eerily resembled Kaichi. "This arena is mine. I have turned the ground into a minefield. Try not to die."

Just like that, she had the Iwa-nin running around like a rabbit, desperately avoiding the explosive seals. Every time he tried to say 'I surrender', she would set off use a variety of seals to silence him, be it by covering him in boiling water, choking him with water tentacles or knocking out half his teeth. The audience cheered loudly at the casual violence and ninja's reactions ranged from impressed to disturbed, mostly depending on experience. Umihiko's own teammates didn't even register this as violence.

A quick glance at Akio revealed his apathy towards the exhibit, hinting that this display of power was typical. But the Uchiha was a different story. While his body language was neutral and his face was void of emotion, his chakra told a different story. He was skilled enough to tame his chakra's feel and given that he was an Uchiha, probably its look as well. Given that Suimi hadn't started taunting him, he was probably even good enough to cover up the sound of his chakra. But few ninja paid attention to how their chakra smelled. There were plenty of ninja with sharp noses, but most were trackers, not sensors and couldn't smell chakra. This was why Umihiko had chosen smell instead of the more common 'sight' and 'sound' variations of the Asaka hiden ninjutsu.

The Uchiha had already displayed a distaste towards violence during his fight, but this cemented Umihiko's deduction. His reaction to his leader's toying around was clear disgust, revulsion, a little guilt, lots of angst but no surprise or shock. Seeing as Akio was apathetic to violence and wasn't surprised by Michiko's display, this hinted that while Michiko's power was expected, the violence behind it was new. Given that the Uchiha had displayed a strong sense of loyalty to Michiko at the Kazekage tower, it was likely that his first exposure to Michiko's violence had been during the second phase. Looking at the sudden change in their team dynamics, this had led to a team falling out with Akio hating the Uchiha and the Uchiha feeling guilty for feeling disgusted by his leader.

It was amazing what one could deduce from the smell of another's chakra and connecting a couple of dots.

But what bothered Umihiko more than anything was how Michiko could control the smell of her chakra. Suimi had confirmed that she could control the sound of her chakra. With her status as a sensor and an Uchiha on her team, she could likely control the look and feel of her chakra as well.

Why would she invest time to controlling the smell of her chakra with so many other skills and a busy schedule? Back when they fought during the second phase, she was completely unsurprised by their team's strength and even seemed to expect it. This wasn't that surprising, she was a sensor and had an Uchiha on her team after all, but she knew of their specific abilities and jutsu.

Outside of their group, no one knew that Suimi's father was from a different clan or that Suimi knew the Ice Release. If anyone found out, it would be grounds for execution. But when Suimi used the Ice Release, she wasn't the least bit surprised and even knew how to counter it. She had anticipated Umihiko's abilities and her trap barrier had been modified to account for his sense of smell. Even if she was Akua, Suimi and Umihiko had joined long after her supposed death. Kaichi could've told her, but if they had established contact, she would have no need to ask them to pass a message.

Umihiko observed as Michiko's excited face quickly faded into boredom and the audience started loudly demanding the Iwa-nin's death. Michiko sighed and her bloodlust seemed to have calmed down a lot. She was still a little pissed off, but it was easily manageable. With no hand movements, she created a showy explosive seal three stories in diameter in midair. The crowd's cheers rose, egging her on and she set it off. The Iwa-nin flew through and slammed into the same crater that Itachi and Akio had slammed their opponents into.

But Michiko wasn't finished yet. The explosive seal shot forward and shrunk down, stopping right before the Iwa-nin. Before the Iwa-nin had time to register his impending death, she set off the explosion.

The Iwa-nin didn't stand a chance. His body was completely ripped apart and he was reduced to nothing more than a bloodstain. The force of the explosion proved to be too much for the heavily damaged wall. Some of the Iwa-nin's organs splattered onto the barrier, right before the nobles and the audience close to the explosion screamed as they watched the body parts fall to the ground with a 'splat'. As the wall exploded outwards, blood and debris rained across the field. With a hand seal, Michiko manipulated the blood so it won't hit her, showing that she was capable of taking over liquid with a foreign chakra signature, a skill reserved for the best water users.

The audience who had been demanding the Iwa-nin's death just seconds ago was completely silent. With a quick sniff, Umihiko confirmed that Michiko had felt nothing from killing the Iwa-nin. Not a single drop of enjoyment. It had been a calculated move. Michiko turned towards the audience and spoke loudly and clearly, making sure everyone heard her.

"What's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted?"

As Michiko walked off the field, Ian gave a low whistle.

"Damn, that girl sure knows how to make a statement."


	27. Final Phase III

As Michiko walked off the field, Ian gave a low whistle.

"Damn, that girl sure knows how to make a statement."

Suimi shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. But between this and the massacre, you might have a point for once."

Ian rolled his eyes. "Pft. The only reason you think it's 'okay' is because you don't want to admit I'm right."

Suimi pursed her lips. "Well you can go and-"

The Iwa-nin Umihiko had just defeated threw them a glare. He was a little affected by the death of his teammate. "Would you guys just shut the fuck up?"

Umihiko agreed with this statement. Even if he had long since gotten used to it, the two of them just never kept quiet. But they did their jobs well enough and usually had a somewhat adequate amount of common sense, so Umihiko never protested.

Suimi raised a mocking eyebrow. "Oh? The pathetic runt who spent his match fighting the air wants to speak up? I thought Iwa-nin were supposed to be blocks of stone who followed the handbook down to the letter?"

The Iwa-nin sneered. "As expected of the Kiri barbarians. Good at trash talk, but nothing more." Umihiko mentally sighed. This was why he hated large gatherings between ninja of vastly different cultures. Peaceful coexistence was not something most ninja valued. Everyone just needed to create a reason to fight. So the Water Country clans had united into Kirigakure? Time to hate on every other village! There's temporary peace and we can't afford to start a war? Enforce a harsh caste system and torture your own citizens! There's been peace for over 5 years? Let's start a civil war!

Racism aside, there was a very good reason why everyone called Kiri-nin barbarians.

Suimi glared and was about to retort when the Suna chuunin standing by the door finally lost it.

"Quit acting like a bunch of brats. Leave!"

Suimi flipped him off. "Well fuck you! We have every right to continue watching!"

"If you had more than two brain cells, you'd know to pay attention to the proceedings rather than embroiling yourself in immature spats! A snack break has been announced. I will do everything in my power to prevent you brats from being promoted as well as banning you from the area!"

Suimi crossed her arms. "Well good luck with that, chuunin-san. What can you do? You're no one important and Suna doesn't have a clan system so you can't pull any bullshit."

Ian rolled his eyes. "That's why I call you a stupid little clan cunt. With the way he's been acting, he's obviously not just some chuunin. He's been in this room since the beginning observing us. He might as well be a proctor."

Suimi was taken aback before she snapped back. "So what? Just cause there's a snack break doesn't mean we have to leave. Even if I don't get promoted, I could easily try again and I'll find some way to observe the matches."

But at this point, Michiko had made her way up the stairs, sat down on her chair and continued doing what Umihiko assumed to be fuuinjutsu research or design. The Iwa-nin rose up to confront Michiko but was grabbed by shoulder by Akio, who had recovered very quickly from his wounds. Given how fast he had shrugged the injuries off, Michiko hadn't been kidding when she said it happened with frequency.

The Iwa-nin violently shoved Akio away and the Suna 'chuunin' immediately let out a carefully controlled bloodlust.

"If you persist on fighting, at least have the self-control to keep your disputes purely verbal. I should not have to remind you that we can toss you into the T&I for upwards to a month if you spill blood on Suna soil."

The Iwa-nin growled. "He started it!"

"Given your actions up until this point, it would be perfectly reasonable to assume that you have harmful intentions towards Kouru Akio's teammate. As his actions were clearly done with no ill intentions or ill effects, I do not see a problem."

"I just pushed him! If he were a real ninja, he should take it without whining."

"The ability to withstand assault does not justify it."

"You're just biased towards Konoha!"

Umihiko just continued leaning against the railings, paying only half an ear to the argument between the two. This snack break was obviously a way to exploit the nobles. Everyone was all too willing to forget what just happened so the nobles were happy to buy all the golden goods Suna laid out before them.

Everyone reconvened within the hour, the death of the Iwa-nin forgotten. The first match was Itachi vs. Kusa, but the Kusa-nin surrendered before the fight begun, officially knocking out all Kusa and Iwa-nin. After the crowd's boos died down, Ian and Akio's match was announced. The two fighters nodded at each other and headed for the stairs.

"Be careful." Umihiko said softly. Ian paused and turned to Umihiko, surprise written on his face before he flashed a sharkish grin.

"Thanks for the warning."

Both of them headed down to the arena at the same time via the stairs without an incident. While the Iwa-nin expressed surprise, Umihiko didn't. It was an unspoken rule that fighters didn't go down together in case of sabotage, but neither of them were interested in such tactics.

The two of them stood face to face with Ian gripping his broadsword and Akio standing in a neutral position.

Ian grinned. "So, what's your deal?"

"Why does everyone around here ask vague questions and expect me to know what they're talking about?"

Ian let out an amused breath. "You know what Umihiko told me? 'Be careful'. That guy never uses an unnecessary breath. So what's your deal? Are you a maniac like your other teammates?"

Akio rolled his eyes and snorted. "Hardly. I can't claim to be 100% sane, but I'm not far gone enough to be part of Michiko-chan's backyard freak show. No, I'm a lot more valuable than that."

"Really?"

"Of course. Strength isn't everything and sanity is way too underrated."

Ian laughed. "Kiri could definitely take a leaf out of your book."

The referee had given up waiting and decided to start the match then and there. Ian immediately moved to close the distance. Ever after an hour in the Suna sun, the water Michiko had let out was still abundant and Ian couldn't use the water because of how much Michiko had saturated it with her chakra. Suimi had reluctantly handed both of them scrolls of water, but using them would be like trying to dilute the ocean with a single water jutsu. In the Suna climate, water jutsu was incredibly hard to use and Ian wasn't very good at drawing water from the air. Judging by Akio's fight with the Iwa kunoichi, his fire jutsu would simply evaporate Ian's water jutsu despite the technical elemental advantage. Ian's best bet was a taijutsu battle.

Knowing this, Akio kept his distance, pushing back with mid-ranged fire jutsu and shurikenjutsu. For a short while, it was a battle of attrition with Ian trying to advance and Akio trying to keep his distance as well as do damage. Ian attempted a water jutsu, but as Umihiko had expected, Akio easily countered it with a fire jutsu. Akio was quite well-versed in bukijutsu and his equipment were many classes better than Ian's. Umihiko was fairly sure that Akio could've won by now purely with Michiko's fuuinjutsu support, but winning due to superior equipment had a lot less impact than winning due to tactics or strength.

With a sigh, Akio stopped using fire jutsu and sent an endless stream of shuriken at Ian. He managed to force Ian to deflect with his sword rather than dodge, sending shuriken ricocheting everywhere. Many shuriken made contact, but they were mostly nicks and shallow cuts that were more annoying than hindering.

Akio sent another wave of shuriken, this time with chakra strings attached to them for better control. All ten strings connected with multiple shuriken. Ian deflected all of them, but Akio simply pulled on the strings and the shuriken came hurtling back at Ian from multiple directions. This time, Ian's left arm and leg were hit and the shuriken sunk in fairly deep. Before Ian could react, Akio tugged at the shuriken strings, dragging the two shuriken across Ian's arm and leg. His arm was split down the middle vertically while the shuriken in his leg had landed more horizontally, the deep gash hindering movement, but not rendering the leg useless.

Ian's left arm clearly hurt too much to use so Ian had to wield his broadsword with only one hand. Akio stopped his wave of shuriken and instead, lengthened his chakra strings to encompass all of the shuriken on the ground. Akio pulled. Over a hundred shuriken rushed at Ian from all directions. Ian dropped his broadsword and surrounded himself in water, but with his damaged left arm, he only managed to shield his front. The shuriken from the back sunk in deep while the shuriken from the sides and the front was only slowed down. With the strings' help, they still made their mark, but the impact was mostly lost.

Even so, Ian had basically turned into a human porcupine. While none of his vitals were majorly damaged, he was severely injured and losing a lot of blood. Akio hadn't taken any care in making sure Ian wasn't killed and continuing would only mean Ian's death. Seeing this, Ian surrendered.

The ending was sufficiently exciting for the crowd to start cheering loudly. Umihiko contemplated surrendering for a second before deciding that it was better to fight Michiko. He may be able to glean more hints about who she was and he was reasonably certain that she didn't intend on killing him. Afterall, he held the highest command in his team and he was all for passing on her message to Kaichi.

Michiko jumped into her water from the ledge and grinned at him. Umihiko took the stairs. There was no way he was jumping into her water even if he knew that the likelihood of him winning was low. Even if she wasn't skilled enough to pull out A-rank water jutsu with barely any chakra, there was all that water with her chakra in it. Her teammate was the Uchiha heir. High genjutsu resistance was practically a guarantee. The only hope of defeating her was through taijutsu. She probably didn't want to show off her Kiri-style swordsmanship in front of the world, but even if Umihiko disregarded how difficult it would be to get her into close-ranged combat, there was her shadows to take into account. Contact with them would be an instant loss.

Umihiko had spent the last hour contemplating but was no closer to a solution. As he reached the exit, he jumped onto the walls and walked sideways into the arena, tracking along the sides of the walls instead of stepping onto the water.

Michiko gave him a smile. "I'm looking forward to this, Umihiko."

"Why?" If what Akio claimed was true, Michiko could defeat Itachi and Umihiko's nose didn't lie. Umihiko was not bad at combat, but he was a tactician primarily and a support ninja secondarily. Michiko bested him in both areas and even in combat, Michiko's water jutsu and kenjutsu were better than his. In terms of skill set, Michiko was almost like a far more superior version of Umihiko.

Michiko shrugged. "Oh, you know. I just have a thing for Kiri men. At least the ones with a workable amount of sanity and emotional competency."

Lie. "Why?"

Michiko laughed. "Always focused on the results, aren't you? But I guess I'm not much different." And just like that, a switch was flipped and Michiko started emitted a swirling storm of bloodlust. "But let's just say I'm very, very, very pissed off at something and fighting you might help solve the problem that's pissing me off."

Umihiko was taken aback internally even as he readied his hands in front of him. She had over an hour to calm down from Akio's injuries and by the end of her previous match, she had demonstrated that there were other things she prioritised over the incident. It didn't even seem like that big of a deal to her. Could it be something else? What else could she so angry about? Maybe her bloodlust from back in the second phase hadn't been sated? Maybe it had something to do with her team falling out? Did she blame his team for the falling out? But that didn't make any sense.

There was too little information to go on. Should he surrender? Umihiko got the feeling that Michiko wouldn't be pleased, but was she petty enough to extract vengeance outside of legal channels? That didn't match up with Umihiko's profile on her, but neither did this sudden burst of temper. Michiko would probably calm down before she did anything too risky, but how much was he willing to bet on that?

Michiko gave the referee an impatient look. The referee sighed and started the match. Umihiko jumped before Michiko even completed her jutsu and her water ball missed. She threw a stream of water balls and Umihiko knew he was in trouble. The water hit the wall and slid down, connecting the walls to the water below. It won't be long before the walls weren't safe anymore.

Michiko was obviously playing with him. Given her proficiency with traps and barriers as well as the sheer amount of chakra she had dissolved in the water, she could easily make a huge explosive seal and tear down the whole stadium. Or at least do enough damage that Umihiko would also turn into a blood splatter. This meant that she wasn't going to kill him, she had some sort of extravagant death planned for him or she liked playing with her food.

Umihiko decided to bet on number one as he lept off the walls and landed on her water. Sure enough, nothing happened. Michiko safely aborted the jutsu she was doing and smiled at him.

"How nice of you to entertain me. I really do appreciate it." Did that mean that she wouldn't mind if he surrendered? Or was that a reassurance that he had a better chance of surviving by fighting her? Too little info.

Rather than reply, Umihiko threw a water ball at her while casting genjutsu after genjutsu. This bought him a second as he approached her. He slowed down as she gained enough consciousness to spread her shadows. The chakra in the water was interfering with his nose's abilities, but he could detect the rough location of Michiko's shadow seals via chakra density. The constantly moving water meant that there was a sizable margin for error and Michiko had proven that she knew of his abilities so Umihiko didn't put too much faith in his nose this time.

Umihiko threw a wave of shuriken into the water, setting off some of the seals. The results showed that they were mostly non-lethal seals which meant that she wasn't trying to kill him or that she knew that he could sense the seals and purposely set it up to trick him into a sense of security. There was no compelling reason why the second would occur so Umihiko took it as a sign that he was right.

Umihiko struggled to keep up the genjutsu and the shurikenjutsu as he got closer. A sniff revealed that Michiko had started some sort of trap barrier around her and he immediately backed off.

Michiko's smile was pleasant with a tinge of bitterness. "As I expected. There is no replacement for you. I really am the world's biggest fool."

Michiko's hands flickered through five hand seals and _all_ of the water in the arena rose high and surrounded Umihiko. It seemed to be for dramatic effect more than anything. Should he surrender? Some of the water started crashing down, but there wasn't that much power and speed to it. Umihiko exchanged looks with Michiko. Did she want an exhibition match? Was she giving him a chance?

Sure enough, Michiko gave Umihiko time to gather the water from the air to create a water shield. The roaring water swirled around him rapidly, but it was mainly to keep the audience occupied as Umihiko aimed a water jet at Michiko. The pressure was enough to slice through the water surrounding him and escape, but as both of their waters made contact, Michiko attempted a jutsu takeover as their chakra mixed. Umihiko struggled to maintain his jutsu while fighting off Michiko's chakra.

Umihiko abandoned the jutsu and threw a explosive tagged shuriken at the wall of water nearest to Michiko. He set it off before it made contact, creating a temporary hole for him to leap through. The hole closed comically slowly, sealing just as Umihiko lept through it and tearing the edge of his pants leg.

Umihiko charged at Michiko, sword in hand and clashed with Michiko's kunai. The water wall dispersed and the water crashed down, leaving the two of them fighting on top of the disturbed water. Even though she was at a clear disadvantage with her kunai, she kept up with his swordplay with a familiarity and ease that hinted at decades of experience with the Kiri-style. Michiko's kenjutsu skills were a mystery for another time so Umihiko just took notes as he tried to press her as hard as possible.

This kept up for a while, presumably to show off how Michiko could keep up with a Kiri swordsman. Michiko then formed a seal of confrontation with the same hand gripping the kunai and some of the water from below lept up and wrapped around the kunai, forming a sort of water blade. This wasn't as impressive as Itachi's feat as she had used a hand seal (even if it was just the seal of confrontation) and preexisting heavily chakra-saturated water, but it still spoke of her potential to be a master at water jutsu.

The water blade proved to be very solid as it clashed with Umihiko's sword and no water droplets left the blade even as it clashed a few more times. It was immediately apparent why Michiko didn't want to use kenjutsu. Her style was elementary as she resisted using her natural Kiri-inspired style and her speed and reaction time was killed as a result. She fought unnaturally, but Umihiko only noticed this because he had seen what she was like with a well-crafted blade. To anyone who hadn't seen her before, it just looked like she didn't know much kenjutsu and was improvising well.

Michiko proceeded to show that a solid blade wasn't all she could do as her blade bent and wrapped around Umihiko's turning into a temporary whip of sorts. She yanked hard and the shock was enough for Umihiko to lose his grip.

Umihiko quickly backed off. Michiko had showed off quite a lot already with her water jutsu and bukijutsu. Umihiko doubted she wanted to show off any more cards and he wasn't strong enough that advanced tactics were needed to defeat him. She would probably show off her mental capacity when she fought Itachi.

Michiko pocketed her kunai and for a few moments, the two of them just stare at each other.

Michiko finally sighed and her posture switched from neutral to her standby mode of boredom and disinterest. "To be completely honest, I'm not quite sure what to do now. Should I pull a Nara and just surrender?"

Well, the next match was Itachi vs. Akio and unless Michiko had something planned, Itachi was obviously going to win. Umihiko didn't want to fight Itachi and he was sure he had already obtained his promotion by now. If Michiko wasn't going to show off anything else, all mission objectives were complete. Even if he somehow managed to come up with a strategy to beat her, there would be no point in standing out any further. If Michiko surrendered, Umihiko would just surrender before he fought Itachi as there was no benefit.

Somehow, Michiko took one look at him and read his mind. The quirk of her lip was a mix of exasperation, fondness and a little bit of frustration. "But I guess you'd just surrender before you face Itachi and I do want to fight Itachi. I'm done with this match for now so could you surrender?"

It took less energy this way so Umihiko wasn't protesting. He turned to the referee.

"Surrender." Umihiko muttered.

The referee called it and the announcer announced the results. Some of the audience clearly weren't pleased with the anticlimactic ending. Umihiko imagined that many were fooled into thinking Umihiko had a chance with the flashy water jutsu and sword fight.

But any ninja worth their forehead protector knew who had all the cards. The moment that idiotic Iwa-nin let Michiko flood the area with a boatload of water, she had won the tournament. In previous tournaments, there were many matches where environment played a decisive factor. One of the selling points of the chuunin tournament was giving the nobles a close-up and 'realistic' view into ninja combat. Even if Suna wasn't biased towards Konoha, they won't be able to clear the field without backlash, especially from the nobles with ninja advisors on how to bet. The ninja advisors probably told the nobles just how much of an advantage she held which was why the bets on this match were so heavily skewed in her favour.

Both of them made it up the stairs together in silence. Everyone seemed to more or less expect the outcome so there was no drama this time.

Suimi rested her cheek on her palm as she leaned on the railings watching the announcer distract the audience with some squibs and hilariously wild and inaccurate speculation. "With so much of her water in there, it's almost like she's cheating."

Ian snorted. "We're ninja. There is no such thing as cheating."

Suimi huffed. "Well you're not the one who put up a good fight against someone twice as powerful as you in enemy territory."

"Oh really? Flooding the area with your water is a standard tactic. If that's cheating then what about the little trick you did with those huge expensive scrolls? At least the Nara pulled it off with her talent instead of her wallet."

"Are you deaf? The keywords are 'enemy territory'. There's a difference between bringing a puddle to compensate for this godawful heat and claiming the area by shipping over a fucking lake."

"Shut up, you clan cunt. You call what you did a fucking puddle? Don't try and get on the moral high ground with me. You were trying to do the exact same shit! You just failed miserably because a big wallet can't buy you talent or IQ points."

"Fuck you slummie! You're just jealous because you keep fucking up missions and can't earn enough to maintain your weapons supply!"

"Me? Jealous? Take a good long look at that giant mirror you carry around. If nothing I said was true then you wouldn't be so pissed off!"

"Well fuck y-"

At that point, Umihiko had enough of their nonsense. He walked over to them and gripped both of their shoulders tightly. He willed them to be quiet and sent them a mild reprimanding look. Both of them fell silent and froze. Satisfied that both of them got the message, Umihiko turned his attention back to the announcer.

"Despite facing great adversaries, all of Konoha's genin are left in the running! With two final battles, we'll see who's the strongest of them all! Will it be the mysterious Uchiha genius? The vicious Nara girl? Or maybe the dark horse will take home the prize! Next up we have Uchiha Itachi vs. Kouru Akio!"

The crowd cheered, but it was obvious who they sided with. Almost all the bets were placed on Itachi. Itachi swung himself over the railings and onto the water while Akio took the stairs. Both fighters faced off.

Akio glared at Itachi. "Michiko-chan is pissed off."

Itachi stared back emotionlessly, but his guilt smelled bitter and heavy. "I am aware of that."

"Then what's taking you so long?"

"I haven't been given a time limit."

Akio gritted his teeth. "How long do you plan to take?"

"As long as needs be."

"LIAR! You already know what needs to be done! You're just too scared!"

Itachi didn't reply, but Umihiko could easily smell his self-doubt and agitation. Akio had struck a chord. The referee rolled his eyes and glanced up at the announcer. After the announcer gave the signal to delay, the referee sighed and stood back, letting the nobles eat up the drama. Or that would have been the case if it weren't for Michiko.

Michiko got out from her chair and walked towards the railings. She let out a small burst of bloodlust to grab the two fighters' attention.

"Akio. Get on with it."

Akio glared at Itachi, but stayed quiet. Michiko turned away and went back to doing work.

The referee glanced at both fighters before giving the signal. Both of them blew a huge stream of fire at each other with their mouths, causing some of the water below them to evaporate. As a light mist covered the area, Itachi activated his sharingan and managed to keep control of the fire jutsu with just one hand and reached for shuriken with the other. By now, most ninja were unsurprised by the single handed jutsu. Akio abandoned his fire jutsu and ducked down to avoid Itachi's fire. Itachi made the shuriken catch fire and threw them. Akio drew a kunai and deflected them all while leaping to the side as Itachi's fire swept downwards.

The two continued with Itachi on the long-ranged offensive and Akio trying to close the gap between them. Itachi was a lot faster than Akio, but Akio was clearly used to dealing with it and kept up well. Itachi's fire jutsu was a lot more potent, but given that he was nine, his chakra system was still developing and his chakra reserves were that of an ordinary fresh genin. Akio was 15 and had plenty of stamina so Itachi was forced to limit his jutsu use as he had to fight Michiko immediately after. Since they were both fighting on top of water, they needed to expand chakra to water walk. Itachi had a limited amount of weapons, chakra and stamina so he was better off finishing this soon.

After a minute or so, Itachi gave up on long-ranged and allowed Akio to close the distance. It was immediately apparent why he was so reluctant to go into close-ranged combat. Akio wasn't half as fast as Itachi, but even his landings shattered the earth. While Itachi held back on reflex, Akio had no such reservations and every blow was meant to kill. Even though Itachi landed a few punches, Akio didn't seem affected by them at all. Itachi used a kunai with fire, his sharingan and some genjutsu. He attempted non-lethal takedowns with genjutsu, but Akio seemed to have a high resistance. It took another minute for Itachi to give up the idea of a bloodless battle and start trying to do real damage.

Suimi looked down at Itachi contemptuously. "The chibi is too soft. He's wasting his time. Why doesn't he just roast the Akio guy?"

Ian rolled his eyes. "He has to fight the Nara in a pool of water after this. He can't afford to waste chakra here."

"But at this rate he's better off using a finishing move."

"Idiot. The girl obviously has feelings for Akio. You saw how mad she got. If the chibi kills Akio, the girl will kill him."

"You think that bitch has feelings? She probably just wanted to show off her bloodlust and healing skills."

"Even if she doesn't have 'feelings', Akio is clearly useful to her. It's smarter not to risk it. Plus, the three of them are pretty much guaranteed to be promoted. They're just fighting for fun."

Suimi snorted. "Oh, really? Kouru doesn't seem to be in this for fun. He's seriously trying to kill the chibi. The chibi should just- oh here it goes."

Umihiko watched as Itachi pulled out an amazingly chakra intensive genjutsu with an undeterminable amount of layers. Even though Akio quickly identified it and started breaking it fast, it was long enough for Itachi to pin him down and put a kunai to his neck.

Akio glared, but accepted defeat easily. "I surrender."

Itachi stood up unscathed as the crowd cheered, but his chakra reserves were down to 75%. Umihiko wondered how much of a fight he could put up against Michiko's water jutsu. Itachi could always take a soldier pill, but unless Michiko was angry enough to kill Itachi, Umihiko didn't think the battle between the two of them would be serious enough to warrant one. Then again, Michiko seemed to be in a volatile mood. Maybe she did want to kill Itachi. Umihiko hadn't gotten a clear picture of Michiko.

Itachi stayed in the arena as the announcer kept attempting to convince the nobles to bet. This time, the bets swung back and forth for a bit before ending up skewed towards Itachi. Not too surprising. Itachi was nearing S-class, the legendary level whereas Michiko had so far been shown to be at jounin level, perhaps mid A-class. Definitely talented, but not legendary like Hatake Kakashi or Senju Tsunade. The skills of many talented ninja plateaued in their early twenties so most probably figured that she was nearing the end of her learning curve. Umihiko didn't know whether that was the case, but it was likely both of them had only been fighting at a fraction of their real strength.

Michiko sprinted to the railing and jumped over it, making a violent landing near Itachi and sending water flying everywhere. Itachi immediately jumped back, drew his kunai and activated his sharingan. The water hadn't hit him. Michiko's actions weren't technically classified as an attack, so no one called her out on it.

The announcer clapped along with the crowd. "I present to you Uchiha Itachi and Nara Michiko of Konohagakure!"


	28. Final Phase IV

Itachi had spent the last month alone. When aiding Suna, his mind went blank and his body moved automatically. But the moment the missions were complete, he sat in the silence of his quarters, forced to rationalise the whirlwind of emotions inside him.

Even after the three years they'd been together, he still reached the same conclusion: Michiko was the best path. As it was, Konoha's current leadership could never achieve peace and the thought of the Uchiha path was as laughable as it'd been the night he had sworn in. He thought and thought and thought and no matter what route of logic he took, he ended up with the same conclusion.

There were days where he wanted to get on his hands and knees and beg for forgiveness. He had sworn eternal fealty and dedicated himself to a life of bloodshed. In return for his oath, Michiko had gone above and beyond duty in taking care of him. She placed his well-being above some of her plans and even personally gave him love and affection. For him to think of betraying her was a sin and to betray her after she had given him such special treatment was an unforgivable treachery.

But there were too many days of indecision. Too many days where he huddled pathetically in a corner, hugging himself as guilt, doubt and shame clawed at his neck. Even though Michiko had been nothing but faithful to him, her bloodthirsty, _happy_ smile flashed through his mind. Michiko was someone who reveled in conflict. She may love solving problems, but was she above creating problems where there was none? Just for 'fun'? Was helping someone like that sway the Five Elemental Nations really okay? If she hated boredom, what if she got bored while she was powerful enough to play with the world?

How could someone enjoy it? How could someone like that exist? He would've assumed it was some sort of messy past, but Michiko was born and raised in the Nara compound. Itachi found it hard to believe that someone could just be born like that. Still, doubt rose and Michiko's little nonsensical stories surfaced in his mind. Michiko had connections with the head of the Nara and the Hokage. Making up a fake backstory was a piece of cake with them backing it up. Could it be some dark mission? Maybe something to do with her natural Shadow Mind status?

Itachi's mind spun with wilder and wilder theories until he forced himself to get up from his miserable little corner to request for more missions. He couldn't be wallowing in self-disgust when there was work to be done. But sometimes, even the missions weren't enough. Sometimes, his mind still spun as his body went through the motions. The regret, the disgust, the doubt, the fear, the anguish and the ugly, bitter, revolting, twisted, abhorrent feeling of rage.

Itachi wasn't sure what he was angry about. Was it at himself? Michiko? The ninja way? The Uchiha? Konoha? The world? Itachi wasn't sure, but he hated the ugliness inside him. He hated how repulsive his own feelings were. He hated hate. Yet no matter how much he tried to erase it, no matter how much he tried to suppress it, he was helpless against himself. Why did everyone have to fight? Why did everyone want so much more than they'd ever need? Why couldn't everyone just learn to coexist?

Itachi hated himself. He hated how childish he sounded. But he couldn't help it. Once the floodgates were open, he just couldn't control himself. More and more questions piled on top of one another with no solution in sight. He desperately wanted to go up to Michiko, bury his head in her chest and let her wash his worries away _but he just couldn't_.

How pathetic. He wanted to protect people but he couldn't even control himself. He wanted to be Michiko's ninja but he couldn't draw his blade when needed. He wanted, he wanted, he wanted but he hadn't been prepared to make any sacrifices.

What a unsightly little hypocrite he was. Even if he pleaded for forgiveness, why would Michiko accept him for all his ugliness when he couldn't accept hers? After betraying her over such a small decision, what weight could his oath of loyalty have? Itachi didn't fool himself into thinking he was irreplaceable. He was good at fighting and held political sway over a noble clan, but there were many other manipulatable people that could offer Michiko the same thing. Even if Michiko had some sort of personal attachment to him, she had the strength to let him go or even eliminate him if needs be.

Michiko was brilliant. Michiko was insane. Michiko was irreplaceable. Michiko was everything Itachi could never be. Michiko was everything he ever needed, yet he had thrown her away in an instant.

Pathetic. Pathetic, pathetic, _pathetic_. How could he bring himself to face her? How could he beg for forgiveness when he was filled with blind doubt? How could he ask to be her ninja when he was so ugly and rotten on the inside?

It was with these emotions that Itachi stood before Michiko in the arena.

Michiko rested her hand on her hip and stared at him with her usual bored expression. She looked as grimy as always with days of ink smudges, sand and sweat sticking to her clothes and hair. Her gear was as usual with her numerous weapon stashes, apron skirt caked with undeterminable substances and senbon hairsticks. Her body language was loose and relaxed and there wasn't a speck of frost in her expression

But Michiko was seething.

Wisps of bloodlust drifted throughout the stadium as drops of rage dripped off her. She was clearly holding back, but her feelings were crystal clear.

In the face of the blackness flowing out of Michiko, the announcer raised his eyebrows, blinked for half a second and continued on before the nobles noticed a thing.

"It seems we have some personal drama here! Our kunoichi is furious! What sort of past could these two share and exactly how deep does her grudge run? This final battle is getting very heated up!"

The referee gave the signal to start, but neither of them moved. Michiko stared at him for a few seconds before moving into a taijutsu pose, her shadows snaking along her arms and legs.

"Come at me, punching bag. I want a good fight."

She wanted a taijutsu battle? Why? Taijutsu was her weakest point and she always avoided it. Her form wasn't half as good as Itachi's and her physical strength was so poor she had to use chakra to get by. Her main assets were speed and agility and Itachi had her beat in both areas.

Itachi threw an explosive tagged kunai at her. She caught it deftly, disabled the explosive and threw it back with a force and speed she had never displayed before. Even though he wasn't expecting it, Itachi twisted to the side and dodged it by a fair margin. He felt the wind whistle past him. He turned back to Michiko before hearing a thundering crack. He turned around in time to see Michiko's kunai buried in the wall as it exploded, causing a shockwave and creating a large crater in the stadium wall. A new explosive seal, no doubt.

The audience gasped and the ninja sat at the edge of their seats. Michiko gave an eye twitch.

"My specialty is traps and spatial barriers. I love sitting down in front of a calculator to plot out all their intricate details. But it gets very chakra-intensive and can be hard to apply in battle. That's when I default to my second favourite type of seal: explosive seals. They're easy to make, easy to tweak, easy to use and very, very destructive. Not to mention I can create thousands in one go and stick them on basically anything. If you're curious, that one in particular was my Grenade Seal."

Even though Michiko was speaking to him, Itachi knew that she was really addressing the crowd. Michiko could make thousands in one go. Even if she couldn't teach someone else, she could enhance the kunai of all of Konoha's elite. If Konoha's kunai were enhanced that way, they would have a major advantage in large scale battles where ninja couldn't dodge without bumping into someone else. It sent the message that for all of Michiko's combat abilities, she could do a thousand times more damage with a brush in one hand and a paper in the other.

Michiko just painted a target on her back and called for a bounty on her head. And she was telling everyone she didn't care because she'd be behind a desk and they couldn't stop her.

Judging by the Iwa daimyo's expression, this was the nail in the coffin. After the bold proclamation, he wasn't even considering assassination. Michiko's message to the world had gotten through.

But no, Itachi realised as he saw the sheer amount of bloodlust coming out of her. This display hadn't been for the audience or even the daimyo. While it definitely cemented the impression of Konoha's strength, the chances of war had been very low. This had been Michiko's last line of defence. This was Michiko's declaration to him. Her promise.

Even if Itachi and Akio had failed, Michiko could've averted war all by herself with a single kunai. She could do it.

But Michiko won't forgive him so easily. This could be Michiko's promise to him, but Itachi doubted Michiko wanted her message to be taken that way.

With or without him, Michiko would move forward. She will do it so why was he hesitating?

It wasn't a promise. No, not anymore. It was a warning. If Itachi didn't make his mind up soon, this once-in-a-lifetime chance that had plopped onto his lap would vanish. All he had to do was cast his doubt and grab the lifeline she was dangling, so why was it so hard? Why couldn't he obey her unquestioningly? Why couldn't he stop thinking about the deaths of those Kumo-nin? Why couldn't he just do it?

Pathetic. He truly was just all talk.

There was a few seconds of silence as everyone processed what Michiko had just said. Michiko sighed and took out eight kunai. She placed her seals and threw them. Itachi drew his own kunai and intercepted all of them in mid-air, but he still had to jump back to avoid the blast radius.

Michiko lept forward to close the distance and Itachi took a closer look at her shadowed arms with his sharingan. Her shadows wrapped around her whole body and coagulated at her palms. Itachi identified the seals on her palms as the same as the Grenade Seals. Itachi now knew why she wanted to face him in taijutsu. It was to show the world that she had no weak spots, that even though her taijutsu was the weakest, she knew how to cover that up. Her entire body was a bomb. It was a style not unlike the Gentle Fist, except she didn't even have to touch her opponent and being within her striking radius meant the half your body would be blown up. It wasn't pure taijutsu, but this was… this was…

Itachi's eyes widened. This was nintaijutsu. A S-class jutsu that S-class ninja invented to suit themselves. It was something that legends dedicated decades of their lives to formulating. And with an upgraded version of the most basic seal ever, a simple application of her Shadow jutsu and some B-class taijutsu, Michiko had just elevated herself to near legendary status with complete nonchalance.

Itachi couldn't help but crack a smile even in the face of her bloodlust. It was just way too Michiko.

It took a few more seconds and a couple of explosive punches from Michiko, but eventually most ninja came to the same realisation and their dumbfounded reactions were even worse than when Itachi made his kunai catch fire. Itachi's display had been astounding on account of sheer skill, but Michiko's display just seemed so stupidly simple it was mind blowing. Itachi sympathised. Michiko had that effect on people.

Itachi threw a fireball at Michiko. Instead of simply dodging it, she held out her arm and activated a slightly different seal. The effect wasn't an explosion so much as a very strong gust of wind. So strong that instead of hitting Michiko, the fire flew back in Itachi's direction. Itachi dodged easily. So she could tweak the seals on her palms to suit the situation. Of course she could. Being easy to change was a major advantage of explosive seals. Another major advantage was the minimal chakra usage. The seal Michiko had used to blow away the fireball cost less chakra than Itachi had expanded creating the fireball.

So fire jutsu, taijutsu and shurikenjutsu were basically out. That really only left genjutsu and Michiko knew exactly which genjutsu Itachi knew, not to mention she had develop a high resistance to all of them. Factoring in just how much water she had at her disposal, how could he win against an opponent who was a lot smarter than him, had nullified almost all of his specialities, could predict himself better than himself, could outlast him and held an amazing field advantage?

But they had already ensured their promotions, prevented war and earned a spot in the bingo book. All mission objectives were complete. Defeating Michiko had never been a goal so he hadn't picked up any new skills while they were apart.

Michiko pursued him for another half a minute and Itachi dodged all of her blows. She then abruptly stopped. Itachi continued increasing their distance and Michiko pulled out water storage seals. Itachi had enough time to wonder why she'd need more water when she activated her seals and the water in the stadium was sucked into the seals.

Itachi wobbled for a moment as the water sped towards Michiko before he sprinted against the tide and onto the walls. It took only a few more seconds for most of the water in the stadium to be sucked into Michiko's water storage seals.

Michiko looked mildly irritated, but that meant that she was deeply frustrated and if Itachi didn't comply soon, she would get even more mad. "I've gotten rid of my territory advantage and I just want to show off my nintaijutsu. Will you quit running and start doing damage already?"

Itachi jumped off the wall and landed loudly on the soggy sand. Getting rid of the water was slightly better, but it still didn't change the fact that Michiko had counters for many of his main assets. Nevertheless, this was an exhibition match as well as a way for Michiko to lose steam. Winning wasn't the objective, it was being as showy and bombastic as possible.

Itachi threw a hail of explosive fire kunai followed in quick succession with a wide spray of small fireballs, a triple layer genjutsu, two waves of shuriken and more fire. Michiko read his attacks easily and countered them accordingly, blasting the fire away, shrugging off the genjutsu and meeting Itachi's projectiles with fewer of her own shuriken. Itachi backed away before the fire was blasted back in his direction. Michiko's counter shuriken exploded, sending kunai shrapnel everywhere. With all the dust and fire as a distraction, Itachi was able to bury three explosive tags under the sand while dodging the rain of sharp kunai shards. He had to do it without chakra or Michiko would notice and three wasn't enough. If he used distractions too often, Michiko would figure something was up and Michiko could nullify the standard explosive tags. To get to her, he would need to get multiple at point-blank range. He also needed to make sure Michiko didn't set off her explosions too near his explosive tags or the sand would blow away and she'd figure it out.

Itachi created three shadow clones and encircled Michiko. All of them threw fire shuriken. Michiko smirked and through his sharingan, he saw her shadows twist and move until her body was covered in variations of explosive seals. She spun and activated the seals. The seals both blasted away the shuriken and tore through her clothes. Michiko glanced down at her tattered attire and sighed before stripping off her shirt. Itachi raised his eyebrows when she started taking off her apron skirt and trousers. She always kept most of her weapons there. But if Michiko was throwing away a stash of her weapons, Itachi wasn't complaining and he waited for her to get rid of her clothes.

As she stepped out of her trousers, Itachi saw that Michiko had inked on storage seals on both her thighs. With Michiko in only her chest bindings and mini shorts, Itachi could now see that she had also inked various seals all over her body. He could only identify a handful of them, but they seemed to be mostly storage seals and space barrier traps. Itachi wondered why his sharingan hadn't picked them up before.

Michiko growled in frustration as she glanced behind her at the VIP area. "Akio! Quite freaking out!"

Akio spluttered, his face completely red. "But you're in- and in front of- and- and-"

Michiko rolled her eyes and charged at one of Itachi's clones. The other clones and Itachi closed in from behind. She threw a blast. The clone dodged. The other three threw shuriken, Michiko blasted them with seals on her back. Two clones tried to strangle her with wire but Michiko blasted them too. The amount of firepower she had was great, but Itachi wondered how she prevented herself from getting burned with such huge explosions on her skin. There was definitely a lot more control and intricacies to this technique than one might expect. Not that Itachi had doubted it, given that she had to do mental recalculations for virtually every blast. There was also no way Michiko would reveal an easily imitable technique when the whole world was watching.

As the fight wore on, Itachi started to get exhausted. Neither of them had any real injuries. He had placed many explosive seals under the sand by now and knew he had to get Michiko into place soon. Not just because of his stamina, but because there were way too many close shaves where Michiko nearly set off her explosions near Itachi's tags.

Even so, Itachi doubted his plan would succeed. Countering Michiko with fuuinjutsu? It was laughable. Michiko met every single one of Itachi's blows with overwhelming force. It was an unusual turn of events as Itachi was used to Michiko doing the sneaking while he held the advantage in pure strength.

She had a counter to everything he did. Due to how precise it was, it was easier to create fuuinjutsu that targeted a specific person or technique compared to ninjutsu. Michiko likely had a very specific fuuinjutsu counter for most of his jutsu. If Itachi in particular posed no challenge to her, why did she continue to fight him? Was it to show off her power? Or maybe it was to display her superiority? Was there some other message he wasn't getting? Itachi could only feel frustration from this fight.

And just like that, it hit Itachi. Itachi had never felt frustration from a spar with Michiko. Due to the nature of her abilities, every fight was exciting. New. Challenging. Itachi was faster, Itachi was stronger, Itachi was always, always better but Michiko would constantly pull out new trump cards, new tactics and new traps. Michiko was the one person Itachi would never ever have to worry about holding back against because Michiko knew every one of his techniques and she carefully constructed their fights to allow him a chance of winning.

But this? This wasn't like any of the spars Itachi adored. This wasn't a challenge or a spar. It was a real fight. This was a small taste of what it would be like to actually fight against Michiko. What a Michiko who didn't care about him would be like and Itachi hated it.

It was in this small flash of realisation that Itachi saw just how much effort Michiko put into their spars that so poorly benefitted her. Just how much he had taken for granted and the guilt and shame finally tore through his doubt.

He didn't want to fight Michiko. He would never fight Michiko again.

Itachi recalled his shadows clones and threw down his kunai, but Michiko's reaction wasn't what he expected it to be.

Itachi had thought Michiko was angry before, but this was incomparable to anything he'd ever seen. A roar of smouldering bloodlust burst out of her. The ninja in the stands were more prepared this time, but Michiko didn't stop. More and more anger kept pouring out of her until the air in the stadium was so stagnant and heavy that the nobles begun to notice something wrong. Itachi could only think that he'd never actually seen Michiko genuinely enraged before this.

"I am not done with you." Michiko snapped. "Did I give you permission to surrender?" Michiko threw him a huge water dragon at him. Itachi dodged and Michiko readied herself again. "I'm tired of you pulling your punches! Fight! Fight and show the world exactly what you can do!"

And it clicked. Michiko's original plan had been to carve their names into everyone's minds. To make their debut not as a potential future threat but as a group of fully fledged legends. Even before the Suna invasion, Michiko had meant for them to completely shock the audience with sheer, over-the-top power.

Or Michiko could just be very angry and wanted a fight. Itachi wasn't sure which was it. Probably both. Either way, he was obligated to comply.

Itachi created a giant fire phoenix that covered half the stadium. It swooped down towards Michiko. Michiko created an equally huge seal that extended from her hand and the fire blew back. Itachi flew through more hand seals and managed to maintain control over the phoenix, pushing it back. They had a stand off for five seconds before Michiko threw an enormous water dragon.

The stadium filled with dense mist and mist was water. Itachi immediately scaled the walls but Michiko's assault was relentless, her explosives and water jutsu bore holes in the walls, shaking the whole stadium on impact. Hesitantly, Itachi begun to walk up the barrier surrounding the stadium. To the civilians, it seemed like he was walking on air while the ninja sat with their jaws slack as they watched him walk on pure chakra.

Itachi sent down three shadow clones to engage Michiko in close range. He used every scrap of speed in him to dodge her attacks. He recalled the shadow clones whenever they were going to be hit and sent out a replacement. He didn't do any damage or even get close to her, but it was enough to keep her busy.

The real Itachi rained down long-ranged fire jutsu and genjutsu. All the fire jutsu were just hot and large enough that blowing them back would result in a war of jutsu control and Itachi won when it came to control. Using water jutsu to counter would be easier than using seals, but with Itachi's shadow clones keeping her busy and his genjutsu delaying her, she barely had time to counter.

Itachi managed to give Michiko a nasty burn over half her left leg, but the chakra he had sacrificed to wound her was too great. Once again, it came down to stamina. Itachi's shadow clones lured her over to a cluster of explosive tags and set them off. Then Michiko… vanished?

Itachi immediately recalled his shadow clones and his sharingan swirled. Michiko had disappeared. There was no trace of her anywhere.

A second later, Michiko reappeared at the spot she had vanished. But Itachi could clearly see that many of her ink markings were gone and the chakra she emitted was a lot less. Whatever jutsu that had been, it had taken up half her chakra.

Michiko grinned and her bloodlust flared slightly. "That's more like it. That's more like it, Itachi!"

Water burst out of the storage seal on Michiko's right shoulder. Itachi cast genjutsu and fire jutsu to try and slow her down but it had little effect. With no shadow clones to stop her, Michiko begun dashing up the walls. Itachi tried to keep his distance with shurikenjutsu and fire jutsu, but with the extra water, Michiko's water jutsu was at full force and Itachi's attempts were quickly thwarted.

They fought face to face. These two whose bodies were that of children casually unleashed feats of power and precision many strived to obtain their whole lives. Two tiny figures fighting with intense ferocity, dancing in mid-air as the forces of fire and water swirled around them.

Some saw magic, a light show that was awe-inspiring and amazing. Some saw art, a match between two masters of their craft. Many, many more saw monsters, two uncontrollable powerhouses with boundless potential to grow were taunting them, flashing their fangs for the world to see. But everyone recognised the legends before them and everyone was silent with awe, with fear, with despair.

Michiko unleashed blast after blast, blow after blow and Itachi was forced on defensive. Michiko's chakra was as exhausted as Itachi's. It was a close quarters, strike for strike fight. There was no grand strategy, no impressive jutsu, no ground to be lost. The first one who made a mistake would lose.

Then it happened. Itachi jumped back from Michiko's palm strike and his heel sank through a weak spot in the barrier. Itachi lost balance for an instant. Michiko pounced. Her palm struck Itachi's chest and Itachi was paralysed. Unable to move, he came crashing down to the ground. Michiko's water cushioned him as he fell.

The referee called the match in front of the silent crowd. It was Michiko's victory. As Michiko walked to his side, she stepped in front of the sun, casting shadows over him. Itachi mustered a tiny smile. This was the Michiko he had pledged his loyalty to. This was the Michiko that stood before the desolate and offered them a path they could never have dreamed of. This was the Michiko that had snared his mind and soul with her radiance. This was the Michiko that could rally the world with nothing but words. This was the Michiko that offered hope, offered comfort, offered love.

Faced once more with what had captured his heart, Itachi felt so incredibly small. He had been foolish to think he knew Michiko and he would be foolish to think he had seen all of her. But as long as this Michiko existed, Itachi felt like he could accept everything.

Then, Michiko kneeled down by his side and whispered into his ear.

"I do not require your loyalty. I do not require your love. From now on, all I require from you is complete obedience. Saving the Uchiha would cost me too much."

Michiko stood up, her bloodlust still trailing behind her. Itachi laid on the ground as he stared at the sky in horror.

For his betrayal, he had lost his place in Michiko's heart. For his betrayal, he was no longer human in her eyes.

For his betrayal, he had condemned his clan to extermination.


	29. Chapter 29

Michiko and Akio were in their living quarters on the outskirts of Suna. They had been granted a small apartment to use during their stay there and the Sandaime had officially allowed Akio to stay with Michiko. It was fairly small with an open kitchen, a sitting/dining area, a bedroom and a toilet. They had been offered a far more luxurious apartment, but Michiko had declined in favour of a smaller, more easily protected space that was near the R&D building. Akio had protested (they couldn't sleep in the same room!), but Michiko had ignored him.

Akio was in the kitchen cooking when Michiko came out of the shower in only a towel. He flushed red and snapped his head back to the cooking, refusing to look at Michiko.

"Michiko-chan-"

Michiko sighed. "Get used to it already. We've been living together for almost three months. Besides, it's just me. You shouldn't get so flustered over a naked girl."

"It's indecent!"

"Do I look like I care about decency?" Akio could hear Michiko taking her towel off to dry her hair. She took her own sweet time drying her hair in the living room instead of the bedroom and Akio shifted uncomfortably. He just knew she did it to torture him.

At last, she headed into the bedroom and Akio sighed in relief. He was just about done preparing lunch when Michiko came out in a plain, comfy and loose home dress. She sat down on the cushion at the dining table. Not only could he see her hard nipples poking through her dress but as she sat down, he could look down her dress and see everything very easily. To make matters worse, she liked to sit with one leg bent sideways and one leg bent upwards so her dress rode up and he could see-

"Michiko-chan! _Please_ sit properly."

"It's more comfortable this way."

"Then at least put on some panties!"

"I don't like underwear."

"Then just… just put on _something_. Anything!"

"Why do you think I'm wearing a dress? If it weren't for you, I'd be going nude."

Akio sputtered. "But-but-you-then-then why don't you put on a shirt and some shorts? You never wear skirts or dresses outside!"

"Why put on two pieces of clothing when I can just slip on one? Besides, shorts aren't comfortable without panties. They're only good when I don't want to flash someone or get arrested for public indecency."

"I'm right here!"

Michiko waved him off. "It's just you. Now can I have my pasta already? I'm probably going to get a bit drunk on one of my appointments."

Akio sighed and gave up for now as he brought the two plates and drinks to the small table. Michiko took a bite and nodded in approval.

"Your pasta has been getting better. Maybe I'll teach you how to make ravioli next."

Akio's face scrunched up. "Why do all your recipes have such weird names? And how do you find the time to invent new recipes?"

Michiko shrugged. "Cooking was my first love. My speciality if you will."

Akio frowned. "That reminds me, I've been meaning to ask about your kenjutsu."

"What about it?"

"You're only good because you specialised early. Fuuinjutsu is your speciality and water jutsu is your subspecialty. You spend so much time on fuuinjutsu so it's no surprise that you're good, but I've never seen you use a sword before. That kenjutsu you displayed was powerful enough to at least be a subspecialty. And even though you don't spend that much time on water jutsu, you're crazy good at it. You could easily make it a second speciality if you tried a bit harder so why?"

Michiko sighed. "I'm not that good at water jutsu. I've just been doing it for a while, that's all."

Akio snorted. "Michiko-chan, your 'not that good' is everyone else's 'mind-blowingly amazing'. And don't think I didn't notice you dodging the question!"

"Hmph. I guess you could say that kenjutsu was my second love. Fuuinjutsu is my third."

"But you started specialising at like 7 or 8, right? How did you squeeze in kenjutsu before that? I thought your body wasn't that strong."

Michiko took a sip of her coffee. "Out of the three main arts, I actually like taijutsu the best."

Akio raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes." Michiko frowned, her hand clenching around the cup's handle. "But this body of mine wouldn't let me do what I want. Because of my chakra situation, I'll never be legendary in taijutsu. That's why I resorted to fuuinjutsu."

"But I thought it was to do coffins or something."

Michiko put down her coffee. Akio could see tiny fractures along the ceramic cup's handle. "I was an idiot and I guess I still am. I like to think that I'm strong enough to withstand this world, but I always end up searching for relics of the past."

Akio finally sensed the change in the air as he stared at Michiko confused. "I don't understand."

Michiko shooked her head and gave an amused breath. But her amusement was a little more somber and bitter than usual. She looked… really, really old. "Forget it. I just… get like that sometimes. Make sure to never tell anyone the nonsense I blabber, okay?"

"But… it's not actually nonsense, right?"

"No."

There was a short silence. Akio put down his fork. "You… don't want to talk about it? Is it something very bad?"

Michiko's face was locked into an anguished sort of grimace. "Not bad, no… well, maybe a little. Depends on how you look at it. The longer you live, the more scars you build up. They will usually heal, but they will always ache. After a while, it's just… you wonder how much more you can take, you know?"

"Is this about that bastard?"

"A little. He isn't the first to betray me and he won't be the last. He is a failing of mine. I wanted both my son and my ninja, but the two sides of him are completely incompatible. He will tear himself up from the inside. I thought that I could get both his humanity and his sense of duty to go along. I treated him too much like a human."

"Even I can tell that bastard's not cut out for the job. It's just how he is. I don't think you can change that. How bad is it?"

"Itachi won't last long. He'll crack by the time he's 25 if he continues."

"Do you… plan to do something?"

Michiko swirled her coffee with her spoon. "Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not. I'd just be preventing the inevitable. If there is a way to prevent Itachi's unending spiral into despair, I do not see it. If it lets him see a world of peace, pushing him til he breaks might be the kindest option."

Akio clenched his fists. "But… you love him. You love him."

Michiko brought the cup to her lips and drank. After downing half the cup, she sat it down and began scooping up some pasta. She pursed her lips bitterly.

"Yes."

"Does he… does the bastard love you back?"

Michiko stared listlessly into her food, twirling her fork round and round. "Sometimes, I think he does. But most of the time… I'm… I'm not someone dear to him. At least not enough for it to be love. If I was, he won't be taking so long to accept me. He's very careful with his emotional attachments, more so than me. Better than me. That's why he tries so hard to maintain our status quo. For Itachi, once he lets someone inside, it's over. After this… Even if we were to go back to how we were, I don't think he will ever love me."

Akio gritted his teeth as he felt anger fill his lungs, his eyes, his throat, his heart. He knew he was letting out a faint bloodlust, but he didn't care. "That bastard-"

Michiko scooted over and placed a comforting hand on Akio's shoulder. "Don't blame him too much. It is as much my mistake as it is his."

"But-"

Michiko got up and hugged him from behind. The feeling of Michiko's breasts pressing against his back silenced him temporarily.

She laid her face in the crook of his neck. "Just… just let me stay like this for a while."

Akio stayed even as Michiko's grip tightened suffocatingly. Then she started shivering. The sobs came. As his neck grew wet, Akio could only stare ahead disbelievingly, his back ramrod straight. Michiko was… Michiko was…

Akio shifted around so he was facing Michiko, temporarily dislodging her arms. She immediately tackled him to the floor, burying her face in his chest.

"Michiko-chan…"

Michiko tried to take a deep breath as words tumbled out rushed and resentful. "I loved him. _I loved him._ Even though he is a suicidal little brat who can't make proper decisions! Even though he's pitifully horrible with people and just _so pathetically bad_ he can't even understand himself! I did my best, I really did. I put up with that stupid self-righteous and sacrificial attitude of his but it just wasn't enough! It will _never_ be enough. It doesn't matter what I do, he will never love me as much as he loves his own mother. His own _blood_. I… I hate people like that! I hate people like him! I just- I… I…"

Michiko deflated and her head fell back into his chest, her voice muffled by his shirt. "Itachi was my mistake. If this had happened during an important campaign, this betrayal could have cost me everything. I was lucky this happened early on." Her fists clenched his shirt. "All it takes is one mistake. One betrayal and everything you've built up will just vanish. Just one stupid little slip-up and your world will be gone in an instant. You will lose everyone and everything. You can search all you like, try as hard as you can, but you will never reclaim what you've lost. No matter how familiar the face, it will never be the same. Never."

Akio hesitantly put his arms around Michiko. He had no idea what she was talking about, but he knew she needed him now. "I will never betray you. I will always be by your side."

Michiko gave a choked laugh. "You can't promise that, Akio. No one can. We could spend this lifetime together, but you can't be by my side forever."

Akio's face scrunched up in frustration. "Why? Why not?"

Michiko sat up, her legs falling to either side of him as she reached for the tissues on the table. She wiped her face and blew her nose.

"Maybe someday. Maybe someday I'll tell you. When you're strong enough to keep the secret."

Akio looked to the side even as his fingers dug into the tatami mat. "Michiko-chan, how strong am I? According to normal people standards?"

"If you spend the next year learning a new elemental release, you'll qualify for jounin."

Next year, he would be 16. Before he met Michiko, Akio would have considered that to be amazing. Only 16 and jounin. Akio gave a bitter bark of laughter. No, in Michiko's world, it was 16 and only jounin.

"Michiko-chan, will I ever be strong enough?"

Michiko cracked a smile. "You'll never be part of my 'backyard freak show', no."

Akio returned the crooked smile. "You're right. Who would ever want to become one of them?"

They just stared at each other for a while and Akio could feel the distance between them. It didn't matter that he was the one beside Michiko all the time or that they lived together, he couldn't keep up with her. He couldn't keep up with _them_. Akio had accepted this fact. He was allowed to nag at her, to call her out when she was being stupid and to save her from her own self-destructive ways but he couldn't be part of her other life.

He would never be Michiko's partner in life.

"Michiko-chan, what do you think of me? What do you plan on doing from now on?"

Michiko cocked her head to the side. "You're a little slow and set in your ways. You tend to deny anything you don't like and hate to admit when you're wrong. You're overly aggressive for trivial reasons and worry way too much over the inconsequential. But-" Michiko _took off her dress_ and she wastotallynakedohmygodwhatthefuckwhatthefuck-

Akio gawked for a few seconds, suddenly very aware that Michiko was straddling his lap and that her… down there was pressing against his own… thing. His head snapped to the side and his entire face and neck flushed red. He opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out were a series of unintelligible squeaks. Akio could feel her laughing sadistically as she reached down to grab his hand and placed it on her… was that… was that her boob? Really? Really?! What the fuck was wrong with her?! She was crying five seconds ago! It was great that she was done crying, but what the fuck?!

"What the serious fuck?! Michiko-chan! Get off! Quit teasing me!"

Michiko laughed almost hysterically, tears rolling down her eyes as she let go of his hand. Akio immediately snatched his hand back and tried to squirm out from under Michiko, but that meant his… stuff was grinding up against her… woman parts. Michiko got off his lap and Akio scrambled up and twisted so his back faced Michiko.

"Just-just put on some clothes already! Please!"

Michiko continued cackling as she put on her dress. "You're way too easy to tease."

"And you're way too shameless!" Akio slowly turned around and to his relief, Michiko really was dressed.

"I could walk around all day naked-" " _Please_ don't." "-and you won't do a thing."

Akio blinked. "Wah?"

Michiko tried to do her usual amused smirk but failed as laughter could be clearly heard in her voice. "Despite how often you jerk off to the extremely vanilla porn involving black-haired, black-eyed, big breasted teen girls-" Akio gave a high-pitched squeak. "-your intentions are pure. You love me. You won't do anything to me."

Akio just stared, bugged-eyed and red. How did she know? Of course she knew! She was Michiko! But-but she knew a-and was she complimenting him or something? What the fuck just happened?

"I-erm-how-you-I-you-I-I-how did you know?"

"How do you think Ayano learned about sex?"

Akio gave a strangled shriek. "Ayano WHAT?"

Michiko snickered as she tried to calm down. "Let's just say you didn't hide your porn as well as you thought." Michiko stood up, leaving Akio reeling in horror. "I'm going to my appointments now. You'll have the next few hours to jerk off in peace."

It was long after Michiko left that Akio finally recovered and picked himself off the ground. As he scrapped Michiko's barely touched pasta into the bin, it occurred to him that Michiko had completely dodged his second question.

* * *

Michiko sat in a ninja-style Italian cafe. This meant that everything was over-priced and all the tables had built-in privacy barriers around them, but she had slapped her own down anyway. It was one of the new eateries that had opened in Suna after the invasion. Upon entering, she had immediately been seated in one of the private areas even though there was a small queue. She had a reservation, but she would have gotten the special treatment regardless.

She ordered three cups of free coffee and was in the middle of the second one when Takumi arrived.

"Good afternoon, Michi."

Michiko put down her coffee. "Takumi."

Takumi sat himself opposite Michiko. "So, is this a social meeting or a business meeting? You weren't really clear."

"Is there a difference?"

Takumi gave a small laugh. "I suppose not. Our social lives are our business. So how are you doing?"

Michiko sighed. "I'll be stuck in Suna for the next year. I was going to go back to learn iryoninjutsu but… I don't really have a reason to do so anymore."

Takumi smiled. "That's good. I was pretty worried."

Michiko raised an eyebrow. "Worried?"

"Yes. In your letter, you sounded a little troubled. But you don't seem that bad now."

Michiko rested her cheek in her palm and she placed sugar into her third cup of coffee. "One of my sons betrayed me. I'm disowning him."

Takumi looked very surprised. "Disownment? Are you really fine?"

Michiko gave a heavy sigh. "I know when to cut my losses. I need to let go."

Takumi reached over and placed his hand on Michiko's. "I'll be there if you need anything. You're strong. I'm sure you'll make it through."

Michiko snorted. "Of course I will. That's never been in question. So how's Suna?"

Takumi withdrew his hand. "Going well. Autumn Artisan is known by everyone and we've employed many of Suna's citizens. Training them how to work in fast food chains and how to cook your recipes was a little hard, but nothing we couldn't handle. The rest of the board is coming round after seeing how famous we've gotten. We'll make back our losses quickly. Luckily, Rice Country and Tea Country overproduced this year so we can afford to make our products dirt cheap."

Michiko reached her third cup of coffee and called for two more and a seafood pasta. Takumi shook his head. "You're going to kill yourself with your eating habits."

Michiko shrugged. "It's free coffee. I'm going to be footing a drinking tab later."

"Cheapskate. Your commission is quite good."

"It's actually a salary and performance pay now."

"You're going full time as a researcher?"

"I can still be called to the field, but basically, yes."

"Which department?"

"I'm under the barrier team, but I keep getting better offers. I even got one from the Head of Medical Research. Her offer was intriguing, but I'm really not sure."

"Intriguing? If I recall, Nohara Chie is in Suna right now."

"Been keeping tabs on me?"

"Someone has to."

"Oh, don't worry. I already have a keeper."

"Kouru Akio?"

"Yes. He's been unexpectedly exceptional."

"Looks like your time in Suna won't be as boring as you thought."

Michiko snorted into her coffee. She coughed for a bit before swallowing it back down. "My time in Suna has been frustrating and anger-inducing, but boring? No, I think not. Bullying my supervisor and ANBU guard has been fun."

Takumi shook his head in fond exasperation. "Only you. You're a real sadist, aren't you?"

"Speaking of sadists, what about the cult?"

Takumi took out a scroll and handed it to Michiko. "All here. It should be enough."

Michiko pocketed the scroll. "Thanks. I'll check it out when my business in Suna is done."

"It's that important?"

"It's just something I can't trust anyone with. It might be nothing."

"I see. If you need anything-"

Michiko gave a soft smile. "I know."

Michiko ate in silence for a few minutes as Takumi stared at her. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"It's almost 3. I've already eaten."

"I see."

Neither of them spoke until Michiko finished her pasta and moved on to coffee number 5.

"So, is there anything new in your life?" Michiko asked. "An important deal? A new friend? Or maybe a special someone?"

Takumi laughed. "Of course not! Where would I find the time? My secretary's as naggy as ever and my parents are pushing me to find a girl, but no. How about you? I didn't think you were interested in this sort of thing."

Michiko sighed. "It's not that I'm completely disinterested. Having a teenaged body can be inconvenient. I just don't find the venture worth it."

"Then do you have someone you're interested in?"

"I suppose there was one. But that was a long time ago. He's probably dead now."

"Probably? How rare of you to leave things uncertain."

"He lives in a very… different place. I don't have a way of checking."

"I can help."

Michiko shook her head. "No, you can't. But I suppose I could use some information on Nohara Chie."

"Oh? Did she do something?"

"Not yet."

"Alright. Anything else?

Michiko downed her last cup of coffee. "Nothing in particular. I'll be going now."

"Have fun."

Michiko stood up and left the cafe.

* * *

"You're early."

Shikaku looked behind him to see Michiko. He waved his empty cup at her. "I thought I'd get a little tipsy before meeting you. You've been a real pain."

The establishment was one of the new places that had popped up after the invasion. Michiko's handiwork, no doubt. She now had a sizable sway over Suna and Shikaku didn't like the hold she had over Suna's jinchuuriki. The Kazekage had pretty much said that Michiko's influence over the jinchuuriki was superficial and that they could break her hold at any time but that only told Shikaku that they didn't know a thing about Michiko. This meant that while Konoha could make sure Michiko didn't expand her influence within Konoha too much, Suna wasn't even aware that her influence existed.

Sabotaging her efforts would only look bad for Konoha and since she used completely legal civilian channels, there was little they could do anyway. It was kind of hard to stop a company's food donations to starving people or to prevent penniless citizens from finding employment.

While Suna hadn't connected it to Michiko, they had certainly noticed Autumn Artisan's rapid expansion and weren't too pleased about a foreign company holding enormous sway over their economy and food supply. At the same time, they weren't in a position to stop the company with their astronomical unemployment rate and flooded shelters so were forced to accept their business deals. Suna desperately needed the commerce Autumn Artisan brought because Wind Country as a whole was broke and couldn't afford to rebuild Suna. Autumn Artisan already had factories in Wind and a couple of shops in Suna, but within a month, almost all of the food and weapon shops in Suna were under their umbrella. If they pulled out at a crucial moment, Suna would go under.

Suna couldn't take any more hits so Michiko had at least five years or so before Suna was economically stable enough to start tightening their laws on foreign companies. Even then, Wind was already heavily reliant on foreign trade before the invasion and ran a trade deficit. Lots of their land was unusable and they needed to import many essentials. As such, they would never be able to repel foreign influence without committing suicide. The current Wind daimyo wasn't a bad leader, but he definitely wasn't capable enough to solve Wind's economic issues.

But even if Michiko had Akimichi Takumi under her control, Shikaku wondered how Takumi could do anything to Suna without losing a lot of support and investors. Mass genjutsu or fuuinjutsu was a possibility, but it would be too risky for Michiko. Long-term genjutsu almost never worked well, especially on high profile civilians. It either got discovered or it drove them crazy. Fuuinjutsu would lead right back to her because who else would it be? It wasn't exactly the most subtle art. It was probably blackmail or something to that effect. Shikaku considered sending Inoichi to go poke around a bit but chances were that little would come of it and Michiko would be pissed.

Michiko laughed as she sat opposite him. She slapped a barrier on the table. They had chosen one of the few establishments that catered to higher end civilians and the waiting staff was looking at them nervously.

Michiko called a waiter and asked for an all-you-can-drink for two hours. She turned to Shikaku with a raised eyebrow and he did the same. She then asked for five glasses of beer.

"Aren't you a little too young?" Shikaku asked.

"13 is the legal drinking age in half the countries."

"Fire's is 16."

Michiko shrugged. "I'm a ninja. It's legal. I also know enough about iryoninjutsu to metabolise it all so don't sweat it. Anyway, what business do you have here? You can't possibly have made the three-day trip just to scold me on a couple of stunts and bad habits."

Shikaku gave her a deadpan look and poured more sake. "'A couple of stunts'? Thanks to your Grenade Seal, Iwa, Kusa and Taki decided to increase their budget on fuuinjutsu."

Michiko didn't seem the least bit concerned. "By how much? And how effectively are they using those funds?"

Shikaku sighed. "At the very least, Kusa is going to get a little stronger. The way Taki has their funds and personnel allocated just spells failure and Iwa's program is a farce. The Iwa daimyo's giving them more money for research after seeing you, but Iwa will probably secretly spend it on other things."

"See? No problem."

"Iwa got more funding. That's a problem."

"How much was allocated to fuuinjutsu and how many areas did the daimyo slash to make way for research? There's only so much Iwa can hide."

Shikaku finished his sake and poured more. "Eh. Point. But did you really have to piss so many people off? It's mostly your fault that I have to come to Suna to smooth things out."

Michiko smirked. "Oh? Which thing pissed Suna off enough for you to have to come down?"

Shikaku gave her a lazy glare. "Wipe that smug look off your face. They finally figured that your supervisor doesn't have a clue about what's going on. Your project's on the rocks."

Michiko smiled as she slid a scroll over the table. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Shikaku took the scroll and opened it. It was an advanced high capacity storage scroll that seemed designed to hold a specific type of seal. "What is this?"

"1000 Grenades."

Shikaku couldn't help but raise his eyebrows as he looked down at the scroll. With the range, power and speed of Grenade Seals, Konoha could easily deal massive amounts of damage in an aerial attack with 1000 of them. He'd been pressed by virtually everyone to negotiate with Michiko for the blueprint of the Grenade Seal. Since she had developed it with her personal funds, she wasn't obligated to tell Konoha and Shikaku doubted she would without an astronomical price. With this though, it might be possible to reverse engineer it.

But that would involve calling back Jiraiya.

"How long would it take to reverse engineer?"

Michiko smiled brightly. "With Jiraiya's skill level? Not long. Maybe seven or eight months."

Shikaku looked skeptical. "That long?"

"You know how Jiraiya is. If he stops his research involving boobs, doesn't get distracted when a boob comes within five meters and doesn't flirt with anything that has boobs, he'd probably make it within four months. Three if he doesn't insist on four-hour lunch breaks and two off-days and two months if he works my hours."

"Which isn't happening."

"Of course not. Not unless there's war."

There was no way they could get Jiraiya to stay still for more than two months doing actual research, much less prevent him from perving on women. "So are there any conditions?"

"No. It's a gift to Nara Shikaku, not the Jounin Commander or Head of the Nara. I won't tell anyone I gave it to you if you want."

Still, Shikaku would have to hand them over to the research departments to see what they could- wait a minute…

"You really want to get your name out there, don't you?"

"Of course. Staying low and pretending to be harmless has gotten old and ever since I took out that chunk of the Nara forest with fireworks and beat Uchiha Kaori, no one with half a brain believes that. The whole 'eccentric child genius' thing worked out well enough, but I was still a little kid in their eyes. I need a more solid reputation."

And there would still be some who would brush her powers off as rumours because her exhibition took place in Suna. "I've gotten a lot of trouble on how uncontrollable you are after your slaughter during the second phase and your taunting of the nobles in the tournament. Your nintaijutsu and Grenade Seal means you are withholding powerful weapons."

"Your point?"

"Your loyalty is in question. I could brush off your actions in the tournament as preventing war and cover you by saying your nintaijutsu uses our clan jutsu, but your wholesale slaughter and reluctance to distribute your fuuinjutsu while legal is hard to justify. If you're going to pull another big stunt in front of the VIPs in Konoha, tell me beforehand or I'll cut your funding, Grenade Seals or not."

Michiko didn't seem bothered by the threat as she laughed it off. "Of course. I was wondering whether I could represent the Nara in the Unity Festival."

Shikaku winced instinctively as the full implications hit him. The Unity Festival was a yearly summer event and clans could elect a representative to compete in a tournament. It was a tradition that had been around since the founding of the village and was one of the biggest celebration with lots of tourists. It was so big that most got a week off or were on basic guard and escort duty. Participation was optional, but many clans did it to show off and it was considered an honour to be chosen. As an unspoken rule, clan heads and S-class ninja didn't attend and too many consecutive entries of the same person was looked down upon.

It was not much different from the chuunin tournament except no one was pretending it wasn't just for showing off, measuring other clans and making money. Quite ironic since the original purpose of the goal was to unify the clans… by rigging the matches so rival clans fought near the end for dramatic effect. In all fairness, right after the Sengoku Jidai, 'friendship through battle' probably made more sense. Despite how much of Konoha's power came from its clans, such important events were rarely updated to suit the times. Partly because no one thought to, but mostly because of all the money involved. Thus, the Unity Festival stood as one of the biggest dividing competitions between clans.

But all this meant that if Michiko did _anything_ overly dramatic or slightly offensive during this incredibly important, symbolic and traditional event with every single clan and the entirety of the Konoha administration watching, the Nara would be completely liable.

And well, Michiko didn't have the best track record of being inoffensive. Especially when long-standing tradition was involved.

Shikaku downed his sake before speaking, his voice completely dry. "So you're telling me you want to pull off a huge stunt during the _Unity Festival Tournament_ as the Nara's representative?"

Michiko's eyes flickered down to the storage scroll and back at Shikaku's face. "Yes."

Shikaku sighed. "Just… don't offend anyone too badly. I can only cover you so much by saying you gave me the Grenade Seals in return. If you start a clan feud, I'll withdraw Nara funding and cut Konoha's."

Michiko smiled back pleasantly. "Of course. I can't afford to lose your support. But I have to admit that the idea of another exhibition match against the Uchiha doesn't appeal to me. It's way too stale and I want something with more impact. If you can come up with something else, that would be great."

It was then that a waiter arrived with Michiko's beer.

"Here is your order, ma'am. Is there anything else you'd like?"

The waiter was clearly new and had been shoved into the undesirable job of serving the foreign ninja. Suna didn't treat its civilians as well as Konoha and there were a few cases of ninja violence against civilians being waved away. He looked a bit nervous and Michiko flashed him a smile.

"That will be all for now, but I do have a word of advice. When serving ninja guests, it's always best to wait until they've noticed you and stopped talking before you start serving them. It wouldn't do for you to overhear anything you shouldn't know. Don't avoid eye contact and don't come too close or touch us. Suna will be getting more aid and since ninja establishments are harder to start, some of the ninja might spill over into fine drinking places such as these. Do spread the word, would you? I want to avoid any unnecessary accidents."

The waiter nodded rapidly. "Of course, ma'am." The waiter hung for one more second before taking off and approaching a co-worker, presumably to give them the advice. Michiko chugged down her beer, but it did nothing to hide her little smile.

Shikaku rolled his eyes. "Was that really necessary?"

Michiko slammed down her beer. It was empty. "Of course not. But do you know how hard it is to get waiting staff in a ninja bar or club? Not only is their training period very long, but they get paid anywhere between three to five times the norm. Security is a ridiculously expensive too, both personnel and privacy-wise. Then there are compensation fees when something goes wrong every other month and all the legal bullshit. Running a ninja business is so much harder."

"You should be more careful. With more ninja around, that means more of Danzou's people are around."

Michiko grabbed her second beer. "I sleep under barriers and have Suna's ANBU on my tail when I'm not."

"Barriers aren't unbreakable. Judging by ROOT's silence seal, Danzou has some capable specialists."

Michiko smirked. "Don't worry. I've still got a few tricks under my sleeve. If they attack, we'd know they're his sympathisers."

Was she trying to weed out some of them? "You're going to get stabbed in the back someday if someone doesn't slit your throat first."

Michiko shrugged. "Been there, done that."

"Why do you hate Danzou so much? The two of you aren't that different."

"I have nothing against him personally. It's just business."

So she wasn't going to tell him. "If you say so."

There was a short silence as Michiko guzzled down two jugs of beer and Shikaku and Michiko called for more sake and beer.

"So how is Shikamaru?"

Michiko held some interest in Shikamaru. It didn't seem like a political sort of interest, but Shikaku was still very wary. "About as expected."

Michiko sighed. "Such a shame. He's quite talented. I'm sure he could achieve the Natural Shadow Mind if only he tried."

"That reminds me, why don't you use it more often?"

"It's tiring. Not very efficient." Shikaku knew that it was mentally exhausting and that overuse could result in collapse, but it wasn't too bad. Was it different for Michiko?

"Really?"

Michiko took a few more gulps of beer before replying. "It's also a little depressing, but you get used to it."

"Depressing?"

"Yeah."

Michiko clearly wasn't going to elaborate more so Shikaku switched to a potentially relevant topic. "The Nara Council has been hounding me to get you to reveal your nintaijutsu. If all Nara with basic fuuinjutsu knowledge and passable taijutsu could do it, the amount of power would be too much to pass up."

Michiko snorted, quickly swallowing her beer so she didn't choke. "Obviously there's more to it. I'd never show off such an easily imitable technique."

Shikaku sighed. "I figured. So what's the secret?"

"They may seem like basic modified explosive seals, but in reality, they are multi-layered to control the explosion very specifically. On average, around five years of theory and field practice would make the technique flow fluidly with your normal style. You would have to create slightly different version off the top of your head with every blow and miscalculation means potentially blowing off your hands. This is a lot easier when you have the Natural Shadow Mind. But if you just want one iteration of the seal blasting off in one predetermined place like your hands, the average ninja could get it down in a week or two."

"So I guess it's your chakra."

"Precisely. If they can't form fuuinjutsu with their shadows, it's meaningless."

"That's the thing. Your shadows have always been somewhat of a mystery. The way you are so connected with them was thought to be impossible. While it is true that none of the Nara have succeeded in imitating you, we don't know much about your situation. How can you be so sure that it is an ability inherent to you? Unless it's a kekkei genkai, it doesn't make much sense."

Shikaku was fairly certain that Michiko knew why her shadows were special but he didn't know why she wasn't telling him. Was it a new hiden ninjutsu? Because if it was a kekkei genkai, what could she lose from telling him? It would certainly calm the Nara Council a lot if she just came clean. All he knew was that the secret behind her shadows was something that cost Michiko more than her relationship with the Nara and that didn't say much.

Michiko gulped down her beer and moved on to the next. "As far as I know, no Nara can imitate me and there wouldn't be one for a while if ever. It comes at great cost. Trust me when I say that you'll have to be absolutely desperate to want it."

Shikaku scoffed. "You think too little of me. I'm not stupid enough to trust you."

"Of course."

There was a moment of silence where they both finished their drinks and waited for the waiter to bring more. Shikaku broke it. "You know that if I stretch the interpretation of Nara law I could drag you to Inoichi."

"You could."

Nothing more was said about the matter.


	30. Chapter 30

Michiko woke up with a kunai to her neck. She looked up to see two sharingan staring back at her and rolled her eyes.

"Quit being such a drama queen and get off me, Shisui."

"You're one to talk." Shisui hissed. "What did you do to Itachi?"

"I just gave him an ultimatum."

"What ultimatum?"

"Serve me or I'll refuse to help the Uchiha. Be completely loyal or Sasuke will take the fall."

Shisui's eyes widened as he processed this information. Faster than Michiko could see, Shisui's fist smashed into her face.

Michiko stared back, unimpressed. "That's assault on a fellow ninja. Completely punishable by law."

Shisui gritted his teeth, a mad, enraged light filling his eyes. "Do you mind? I have a kunai to your throat and I can't tell you how much I want you dead."

"If I thought you'd kill me, I wouldn't have told Akio to allow you in."

"You're too cocky."

"Probably."

Shisui pressed the kunai further and a bead of blood flowed from her neck. "Why would you betray him like that?"

Michiko snorted, the motion causing the kunai to dig in a little bit. "Do you know what he did? He had the nerve to protest when I killed a bunch of random ninja."

Shisui looked at her as if she were an idiot. "And you thought that he wouldn't?!"

"Yes. I expected him to be a better ninja. Another ninja."

Shisui punched her face again. Michiko's head snapped to the side and the kunai cut a shallow gash across her neck. "Itachi is nine! Nine! He's never had to kill anyone on a mission! He's never gone to war! What did you expect from a pacifist?!"

Michiko sighed. "And you're just about the only one who remembers Itachi's age. In hindsight, it was stupid of me to expect so much from an inexperienced ninja. But no one cares, Shisui. No one cares that Itachi's a child or that he's a pacifist. He's talented, subservient and loyal and you know what happens to those types of ninja. What did _you_ expect?"

Shisui glared. He gripped her left shoulder with barely restrained strength, dislocating it roughly and causing the bone to fracture under force. "This system is wrong. It's disgusting. It sucks up ninja like Itachi, works them to death and spits them out when they're useless. In hindsight, it was stupid of me, but I thought you were different. I thought you would treat Itachi well. I thought you hated this system. I thought you loved him! So why?! You knew how Itachi was like! You know that you made a mistake so why are you punishing him?!"

Michiko looked Shisui in the eye. "I'm not punishing him. I'm simply doing what he did and distancing myself. Having the Uchiha eliminated is a lot more beneficial to me than spending so many resources on them. I don't like the Uchiha. Even if I save them this time round, it will not last. The world I envision is one where clans like the Uchiha will fall or adapt and you know which one the Uchiha will choose. Without my affection for Itachi, I have no real reason to save them. It is a waste of effort when I could be helping people who actually want to live."

"And Itachi's service is enough of a benefit for you to save the Uchiha?"

"Of course not. The Uchiha are a real pain and I can find another much more loyal assassin. At most, he's worth prolonging the clan's existence for five years or so. But while securing an entire criminal clan's lives is difficult, ensuring the safety of a small innocent child isn't."

"Sasuke."

"Of course. It always comes down to Sasuke when Itachi's involved, isn't it?"

Shisui's kunai disappeared only for it to be replaced with his hands. Michiko stared at him expressionlessly as he strangled her. Michiko's chakra started to flicker. Akio was right outside the bedroom and he immediately threw open the door. There was a tiny pause where Akio registered that Shisui was straddling Michiko in her bed and strangling her. Before Shisui could say anything, Akio lunged at him. Shisui leant back to dodge and cast a genjutsu with his sharingan. Akio collapsed and Shisui grabbed, tied and gagged him before dumping him at the corner of the room.

Michiko sat up, her hand glowing green as she healed her shoulder. "Attempted murder? How uncharacteristically careless of you. Are you really ANBU?"

Akio's interruption had caused Shisui to snap out of it and the slightly unhinged expression on his face faded as he leant against the wall. His constantly cocky smile stretched across his face, but it held none of its usual cheer. His previous thinly-veiled disdain had intensified into pure venomous resentment as his sharingan-ladened eyes stared down at her coldly.

"I really, really wanted to like you. Outside of Izumi and I, Itachi has no friends. But as expected, I really, _really_ can't stand you. You make me sick."

Michiko shook her head as she gave a small, deriding laugh. "Shisui, Shisui. You should know how the world works by now. How ninja work. How Konoha works. 'A true ninja protects peace from within its shadow'. 'Self-sacrifice is the mark of a true ninja'. Isn't that what you always say? Isn't that what you've raised Itachi to think? Someone has to be sick or there will be no meat shields for the healthy. The light cannot exist without shadows and no village displays this better than Konoha. You are just as ugly as me."

"I may be sick, but I'm not as ugly and disgusting as you!" Shisui snapped back. "I don't go on a killing spree every time I get bored. Unlike you, I actually care about people!"

Michiko shrugged. "You can't say you haven't enjoyed killing before. With a clan like the Uchiha and a brother like Itachi, you can't say caring isn't tiring. Killing is simply easier than protecting. Compared to the average person I am powerful but I'm still one tiny, puny, insignificant little human being. My power will always be limited. In a world like this, trying to protect even a single person can tear you apart. Caring about the world? That's just out of my league. When you care too much, you end up like Itachi. A broken mess who struggles to find joy without accompanying sorrow. Caring isn't an inherently good thing. I'm already exceeding my limit caring for half a dozen people at once and you're telling me to care for Itachi of all people? Sorry but I've already lost half my mind. I don't want to lose the last shreds of my sanity along with my logic and prudence."

Shisui looked down at her, something akin to pity briefly flashed over his crimson eyes. "Were you ANBU?"

"Why do you ask?"

"That's about all I can think of. How else would someone of your age and background get such a cynical view? Distaste for Konoha's shadow tactics, a lack of empathy and sadistic enjoyment of murder aren't rare amongst retired ANBU. Most end up something like you after five years."

Michiko looked amused. "An interesting theory, but if I really was an ANBU, there's no way I could tell you. Do tell me though, what are the reigning theories and thoughts around me?"

Shisui looked wary, but he obliged. "Most think you're a wack. Seasoned ninja see your massacre as getting rid of competition and it's a big plus that you can do both violence and conversation. Since you're 13 and a genin, they haven't clued into how batshit insane you are. The peacetime generation thought you were 'cool' after Uchiha Kaori and the forest fireworks. Kunoichi look up to you so they're fine with classifying your Suna killing spree as 'cool'. They're under the impression it's self-defense and a tactical decision rather than an active hunt. Those who look down on your actions are mostly doing it out of habitual caution or think you were ANBU. Lots of people think you were ANBU, actually."

"So what do you notice?"

Shisui frowned. "Your rep wasn't destroyed."

"Exactly. I may have been a little stressed out and emotional, but I wasn't so far gone that I didn't consider that. Every major leader in the ninja world is a mass murderer. If they suspect I was ANBU, they're more likely to forgive me for rampages as well as make up my reasons for me. No one cares if you have a bad habit or two and they'll happily overlook a couple of deaths if they're no one important. Everyone's perfectly willing to follow a bloodthirsty psychopath as long as there are results. They may initially act like Itachi, but like Itachi, after they go on a few missions where lives must be taken and impossible sacrifices must be made, they'll have a lot fewer qualms when I promise them a better path."

"It would be better if you just not go on killing sprees instead of making up excuses. There are so many better ways to prove yourself and while most may not mind, some will and lots of people will like you more if you don't kill as much. You might piss off the wrong person."

Michiko smiled. "So you've finally learned to appeal to logic rather than emotion. It's true, but there's just something about hand-to-hand combat that cannot be matched. I'm sure you've felt it before. Every ninja has felt it before. When you stand on the battlefield with your fallen enemies around you, despite the nagging doubt tugging at the back of your mind, you feel strong. Accomplished. Powerful. In the hopeless, endless struggle of war, many get addicted to the feeling and thus your psychopaths are born. You've felt it. I know you have. So has Itachi, even if it's just in sparring. The strength you feel is nothing more than an illusion and you are just as powerless as before, but it does a great deal to wipe away frustration."

Shisui glared. "Funny how you only use emotional arguments to justify yourself and dismiss them when they're against you. I guess 'Efficiency above all else except when I'm feeling bitchy or when it's inconvenient' just doesn't roll off the tongue."

Michiko laughed. "I'm not justifying anything, I'm just explaining it to you. 'Efficiency above all else' was a phrase Itachi invented, not me. Have you heard me say it before? I am greedy, self-serving woman loyal only to my desires. I take what I want and only give when it benefits me, even if it's on some intangible emotional level. One could argue that humans only give because it benefits them. 'Righteous' acts validate the principles we've been conditioned with, making us feel morally superior. Who doesn't love feeling like they're better than everyone else?"

"Once you escape into abstract, wishy-washy philosophical ideas, you can explain away anything."

Michiko laughed louder this time. "You storm in here, protest against child soldiers while raising one, condemn me for mass murder while attempting to murder me, belittle me for losing control of my emotions while completely incensed and then you try to shove your morals down my throat while claiming to be unprepared for a philosophical argument. You're truly hilarious, Uchiha Shisui. You flip between righteous and vicious, joking and serious and flirty and murderous so fast that it's telling. You've been broken in, but unlike me, you haven't accepted humanity's contradictory nature yet. Unlike me, you've only managed to stitch yourself back on the surface level. Just enough to fool yourself and everyone else. You can act all you like, but when it comes down to the wire you only care about one person. And you will give up everything. You will give up everything to protect Itachi and it will tear you apart after you realise how powerless you are and how hard it is to protect something. We're the same kind of people, you and I. I've just been around for longer and have gotten over the beginner's pitfalls."

Shisui crossed his arms. "Don't lecture me! I'm older than you and I'm hardly new to this game. I've killed many, many people and thanks to the sharingan, I can count them all. I care. I care about this world and the people that inhabit it! I've been raised to protect people and I will do what you cannot! I will protect Itachi! I will not let him break!"

"Go on, then. Try and take on this world by yourself. You will fall, for there is only so much one person can do."

Shisui snarled and gripped his arms tightly. "I will prove you wrong. It's about time someone knocks you off your pedestal."

"I look forward to it. If you can prove me wrong, it would be very interesting."

"You're truly insufferable."

Michiko laughed again. "I've never claimed to be a reasonable person. Maybe I'm too set in my ways, but it's hard not to be. Everything just repeats over and over. Faces and voices blend into each other and everyone acts so similarly I sometimes forget who they are. As humans, there are only so many things that set us apart. Even someone as strange as Itachi has a quasi-replacement."

"You are wrong." Shisui uncrossed his arms and headed for the door. "This is getting nowhere. I will prove you wrong and I will never stand by your side. That is all you need to know."

Shisui left silently and Michiko sighed. "We really are alike. Such a shame, though. I really do have a soft spot for horrible messes."

* * *

Akio had been awake for all of fifteen seconds when Michiko opened the door in one of her usual loose home dresses.

"I made breakfast and I-"

"What the fuck was that?" Akio interrupted.

Michiko rolled her eyes. "Obviously, Shisui wasn't very pleased about the whole Itachi incident."

"He was strangling you! You told me he wouldn't do anything!"

Michiko shrugged. "So? Got strangled, got over it. He didn't even try to kill me."

"He was! What else would you call strangulation?!"

"He didn't even try to stab me or anything. He clearly wasn't trying very hard."

"He strangled you! Even if it isn't attempted murder, it's still assault!"

"Look, it's not a big deal-"

"Not a big deal?!" Akio screeched. "I don't know what world you live in, but when you wake up to an S-class ANBU with his hands around your neck, you should be a little concerned!"

Michiko sighed. "I don't know what world you live in, but panicking every time someone tries to kill you isn't a good idea when you're trying to revamp the system. Besides, it can be a bonding experience."

"Bonding Experience?!"

"You know, erotic asphyxiation."

"Erotic asfik- what's that?"

"Erotic asphyxiation. The intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal."

"... Eh?"

"People get off when strangled."

"But-but how? Why? Why?! Wait, does that mean- have you-"

Michiko snickered. "I haven't done it myself, so I won't know how good it is."

Akio sighed in relief. "Right. Good. Of course, you haven't done it yet."

"Come on, I made french toast. It's been sitting for a while so I'll heat it up."

Akio got out of his bed and stretched. He went to the toilet and brushed his teeth before exiting to the living room and sitting on a cushion. He glanced at the clock in the kitchen.

"It's already 9. How about work?" Akio asked.

"Katashi's meeting with the Kazekage and Shikaku to discuss my supervision."

"They finally noticed?"

"Yes. Katashi's in trouble, but apparently, the Kazekage figured it out a while back and kept it quiet. Shikaku told me that Katashi became Head of the Puppet Brigade because the previous one died unexpectedly and he was the only clear choice for succession. The Puppet Brigade HQ was partially destroyed and many died so they can't afford to let him go. He'll get a slap on the wrist."

"Suna really is desperate if they can let something like that slide."

Michiko finished heating up the french toast and placed it in front of Akio. She sat next to Akio and pulled out her handheld calculator, scroll and brush. "They've been desperate for a while. Enough that invasion was a tempting option. They need every man possible."

Akio began scarfing down the toast. "But why would the Kazekage keep stuff quiet?"

"Politics. The council is still split on the matter. The Kazekage wants it to go through, but there are many who doubt me. I have a feeling that a couple of assassination attempts might be coming up soon. Watch your back."

"Do you really have to do something so dangerous?"

Michiko gave him a look of supreme disappointment. "You can back out now if you want."

"You know that's not what I meant."

Akio finished his breakfast quickly while Michiko continued with her work. He went to the kitchen and begun washing all the dishes in the sink when the doorbell rang. He dried his hands on his sleeping attire before going to the door. He looked through the peephole. Surprisingly, it was a Konoha ninja carrying a bouquet of flowers.

Akio opened the door slightly. "What business do you have here?"

The chuunin flashed a smile. "I am Sarutobi Yuuma. Is Nara Michiko in?"

"Wait a moment." Akio closed the door and turned to Michiko. Michiko sighed and put down her brush.

"I'll entertain him." Michiko said. She walked over to the door and opened it. "Sarutobi-san."

Yuuma handed her the bouquet. "Congratulations on your promotion to tokujou! It's really impressive for someone your age."

Michiko accepted the flowers and passed them to Akio. "Thank you. Would you like to come in?"

"If you would have me."

Michiko let Yuuma in and Akio filled the tallest glass they had with water and put the flowers in. The glass wasn't tall enough to support the flowers so he propped them against the wall on the kitchen counter. He watched from the kitchen counter as Michiko and Yuuma had seated themselves in the living room.

"Would you like anything?" Michiko asked.

"No, no it's fine. I'm not big on formality and I've heard that you aren't."

"Good. So what does the Hokage want?"

Yuuma laughed sheepishly. "It was that obvious?"

"Of course. He's the only reason why your parents want us married."

"Yeah, I figured. So what are you going to do?"

"I'm not interested in marriage. What about you?"

"Me? Oh, erm… no offence, but I don't really want to marry you. I mean, I'm sure you're cool and all, but I don't know you. Also, you're 13 and I'm 21. I mean, I'm not saying you're a kid or anything, it's just a bit weird and I've heard stuff about you. I mean, not bad stuff or anything, it's just a bit weird. But a good kind of weird like you're smart and powerful. Not that I'm saying it's weird because you're a girl or a kid, I mean you're not really a kid but-"

Michiko gave a reassuring smile. "I don't take any offence."

Yuuma cleared his throat awkwardly. "Oh. That's… that's good. Sorry."

"So what does Hokage-sama want?"

"I've been posted to Suna and he wants me to check on you and your project. You're supposed to report to the other Barrier Team members if there's a change in plans." Yuuma took out a scroll. "Here's the order."

Michiko took the scroll, opened it and quickly scanned through before closing it. "I was expecting something like this. How much do you know about fuuinjutsu?"

Yuuma shrugged. "Enough. I'm under the Barrier Team."

"Frontlines, guard or research?"

"Mostly guard, but I'm sent to the front occasionally. Don't worry, I have someone else with me that's from research. I just happened to be posted here and we've met so I get to meet you."

"You mean you drew the short end of the stick."

Yuuma laughed nervously. "Ah, well, for some reason, the research people don't really like you. I mean, not because you're bad or anything, it's just, you know-"

"My work ethic."

"Yes! I mean not that your work ethic is bad, but-"

"I understand. You can stop."

"Right. Yes. Of course. Sorry. So have you worked with them before or something?"

"Not really. I mainly terrorised the lab assistants."

"I… I see. They say you're good and hardworking. That's rare. I mean rare for a Nara, you know. Not to stereotype or anything. It's just, you know?"

"I understand. Stereotypes exist for a reason."

"Right, right."

The both of them sat there awkwardly for a few seconds with Michiko staring piercingly at Yuuma, trying to creep Yuuma out enough for him to flee. It succeeded in making Yuuma very uncomfortable. Just as it seemed like he was going to leave, the doorbell rang again. Akio looked through the peephole to find a beautiful, pink-eyed young lady in an elaborate kimono standing outside along with two ordinary bodyguards. Akio opened the door slightly.

"What business do you have here?"

"I've been told that Nara Michiko is here."

"Who are you?"

"Mori Kiyomi."

"Wait a moment."

Akio closed the door and turned to Michiko. Michiko looked at Yuuma. "It seems as if I have another guest. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"

Yuuma immediately took up the opportunity. "Not particularly. Since you are busy, I'll be going."

Yuuma got up and exited as fast as politely possible. Akio opened the door to let him out and invite Kiyomi in.

Kiyomi turned to her guards. "Can you leave us for a moment?"

"I am not allowed to have you out of my sight."

Michiko interjected. "Don't worry. She'll be under barriers. In a worst case scenario, I will take responsibility."

"You can take responsibility for Mori-sama's life? Do you know who she is?" The younger of the guards looked at her doubtfully. She didn't look like much with her bed hair and bored expression, but it was a mistake only civilians could make.

"Despite how I seem, I am tokujou. Akio over there is chuunin."

"Really?"

Michiko turned to Akio. "Akio, papers."

Akio ran to the room, grabbed their documents from his pack and returned to the living room. To the guards, it probably seemed like he had vanished and returned in a second. The senior guard took the papers and the young guard leant over and stared at the paper dubiously.

"I guess Suna is in great need." The younger guard said.

The senior guard shook his head. "Do not dismiss ninja so easily. Appearances mean nothing when dealing with them. If anything, we should be wary of her youth. Those are the dangerous ones." He turned to Michiko. "I don't doubt your capabilities, but we still have our orders."

Michiko sighed. "Such a shame. Very well. Please stay where you are. I will put up a privacy barrier around us."

The senior guard nodded. "That is acceptable."

Michiko slapped her hand on the table and the privacy barrier around her left arm slithered onto the table and floor. Both their faces were obscured and no sound could leave.

Michiko turned to Kiyomi. "So what are you here for?"

"That move during the tournament. When you taunted the nobles. That was for me, right?"

"Mostly, yes."

"I've integrated myself into the Daimyo's court. I've gotten quite a few suitors and profiles on every major official in Fire. With this, we can help the citizens of our country, right?"

Michiko sighed. "I guess. To be honest, the main reason for me to upend Fire politics has gone, but I guess it'll still be beneficial. As long as your grandmother is alive, she can handle the political side of things. So how is it going with the Daimyo's grandson?"

"Very well. He's enamoured with me."

"So now that you're close, have you learned anything new?"

Kiyomi pursued her lips in revulsion. "Hideki-sama is worse than I thought. He's impulsive and acts without concern for his station. He has no interest in politics and has even less aptitude with people. He's easily blinded by his desires. As long as I smile prettily, act vulnerable and shower him with compliments, he'll think I'm perfect. In two weeks, Grandfather is meeting with the Daimyo to officially discuss our betrothal. Don't worry, everything is going well."

"Good. So tell exactly what policies you plan to implement when you're Daimyo."


	31. Choice

When Uchiha Itachi reentered his clan compound, there was something noticeably different in the air. Something tense, something heavy. He had been promoted to tokujou, mainly because full double promotions were restricted to amazing feats and Itachi hadn't learnt a second elemental release. The Sandaime would have promoted him to chuunin, but since Michiko had to be promoted to tokujou for her Suna project, they couldn't give him a lesser rank or the Uchiha would take offence.

He was called before his clan head and the news only served to hammer in Michiko's sentence.

"The Uchiha have decided to start a coup d'etat."

There was a resigned silence. Itachi replied. "Father, what do you think?"

"It's an impulsive move. The Uchiha alone cannot take down Konoha. There are many of us, but almost all have spent the last decade doing little more than paperwork. We need allies and our lack of them is what ignited this in the first place. Many Uchiha have been sent to Suna for aid. Some are trying to find allies amongst the Suna government through bribes and promised aid. Your showing in Suna has certainly helped. With you and Shisui, if we slowly take out all the S-class ninja against us, we might have a chance."

"No, Father. What do you think?"

Behind his desk, Uchiha Fugaku sighed. For just a second, his father looked incredibly tired. "The Uchiha are dying. Slowly but surely, we are being cordoned off from village matters and our political sway is a farce. We have too few ninja on field bringing in income and almost all of our wealth goes to funding the police force. It is all we can do to keep appearances. If we stop acting like noble ninja and tried to provide for Uchiha civilians, we would no longer be a noble clan. After stripping us of our titles and land, they would take the police force under the guise of helping us. First by offering conditional funding that we can't deny and then by planting their ninja to try and discredit us. If we wait much longer, the Uchiha legacy will fade away. If we are destined to die, then I would rather we die in battle with our pride intact than to submit to Konoha's system."

Itachi didn't understand what Fugaku was saying. Even if Konoha's treatment was unfair, there were other ways to fight back. What about the children of their clan? With the hatred for the Uchiha, the higher-ups won't hesitate to cut down even the innocent. This coup had little chance of success. Failure meant annihilation. Was it not worth living in a lower class if it meant there would be a next generation? Was survival not more important than pride? If it meant Sasuke's life, bowing down to Konoha was a small price to pay.

"Is death the only option we have?"

"If there is another option, I do not see it. I've already been holding back the clan for quite some time and there have been no solid opportunities for peace. As it stands, this is the only option we can take if we are to remain Uchiha."

"What are my orders?"

"Foster allies where you can and make sure everyone knows of your strength. You must become strong enough to take down the Hokage within the next five years. You should have no problem with that, but as for making allies, I would start with the Nara girl. She has been growing in relevance lately and the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clans are so integrated into the village that doing away with them once we reach power is detrimental. Secure her support and push her to get involved with her clan. If we secure the Nara matriarch, securing the rest is viable."

"... With all due respect, sir, I do not think that's possible."

"If you can secure a more advantageous alliance, failure will be forgiven. I understand that it may be difficult, but the clan is in dire need. As clan heir, you must do everything you can. If needs be, you have Shisui to help you."

"She frequents amongst the Yamanaka and many jounin. Intensive long-lasting genjutsu will be risky even for Shisui."

"She will be in Suna for the next year. When you find the opportunity, you and Shisui are to head to Suna. If the risk is too high, withdraw, but it is worth a shot. Other than that-" Fugaku took out a red scroll. Itachi recognised it as requiring Uchiha blood and chakra to open. "-this is a list of all the clans and major political players we hope to secure an alliance with, diminish in power and secure neutrality with. If you see an opportunity, be sure to report back to the clan. It requires three drops of blood in a right-angled triangle and this combination." Fugaku let out a series of chakra bursts. "This scroll is worth more than your life. If found, the whole clan will be executed. You are to pass it to your Mother or I when you are done reading it."

"I understand."

"You are dismissed."

Itachi bowed and left, escaping into his study room before Sasuke or his mother could find him. For a while, he just sat on his chair and stared at the wall. All his worst fears were coming true. The Uchiha will fail and they would bring Konoha down with them. There will be war and that would be their revenge.

He stood up and walked to his window. His study window gave a good view of the Uchiha compound and he stared down at the people on the streets. There weren't many. No screaming children, nothing. The Uchiha streets were tense and silent as always. Even the children learnt to watch their backs for that was part of being Uchiha. To be Uchiha was to be ostracised. To be feared. Misunderstood. Betrayed. It was all a hopeless chain of causality and who was to blame in the end? A hundred wrongs had led to this day and pointing fingers was meaningless at this point. Was this their fate? To betray and be betrayed? To forever be remembered as powerful, disloyal and unstable? Was there no other way? Was there nothing he could do? What was choice? He was born an Uchiha, trapped by the successes and failings of his ancestors and bound to the way of ninja by birth. If the future was simply the result of the past, was there free will?

Itachi hated the idea. It sounded like a pathetic excuse for his own inadequacies. Even if the future was predetermined by the past, that did not mean that his clan's extinction had been determined. But knowing that there had been a way out, a way out that he had so carelessly thrown away, just made choking down this reality so much harder.

Just then, a figure dropped down in front of his window. It was Shisui with his usual grin.

* * *

Shisui waved for Itachi to open the window. Itachi obliged.

"Itachi! You're back!" Shisui took a closer look and frowned. "So you heard?"

"Yes."

Shisui shut the window behind him. "I've talked to Hokage-sama and we're keeping it from the council. Nara-sama knows because of course he does, but it isn't looking so good. If we try and reintegrate our clan with the main force, the Uchiha will be short on people to man the police force. It'll loosen their only control over Konoha. We can't approve a budget for the police force without the rest of the council trying to add a bunch of restricting conditions. We could relocate the clan nearer to the Hokage Tower, but that means displacing something. We'd have to justify tearing down newly built districts for seemingly no reason and it would be too little to appease the clan. It doesn't help that the Uchiha's attitude has pissed off many minor clans over the years so only neutral clans like the Yamanaka and Aburame are even going to point out our unfair treatment. That bitch had better have a good plan."

"About that… Michiko-hime… never mind."

Shisui groaned. "'Hime'? Really? Whatever. So what did she do this time?"

"I can't tell you."

"Really? Not even a bit?"

"I don't think so."

Shisui frowned. "You don't think so? Since when did that neurotic control freak leave anything uncertain?"

"..." Itachi's eyes shone slightly and Shisui knew something was up.

"Itachi, what happened?"

"Nothing." Translation: It's life altering but since Michiko's involved, I can't tell you.

"Liar. What happened?"

"I can't say."

"You can't say or you think you shouldn't say?"

"I can't say."

"You can't say or you can't say whether you can't say?"

"Hn." Translation: Shut up. You sound stupid when you try to sound smart.

"No seriously, what did that little cunt do this time? You didn't even look at me like I was an idiot!"

Itachi gave Shisui a deadpan stare. Translation: You've forfeited the right to complain about being called an idiot ever again. Also, please don't notice that I'm trying to distract you with snark.

"Too late now. I know something is up. What did she do?"

"I can't say."

"What can you say?"

"... It's my fault. Don't pester her."

"'It's your fault'? Since when would you ever do something wrong? Don't fall for it, the bitch is probably trying to guilt trip you."

"Objective?"

"I dunno, control you better?"

Itachi gave him an unimpressed look.

"Oh, shuddup! How am I supposed to know what she's thinking?"

Itachi looked even more unimpressed.

"I know you're not talking! You know what I mean! So what's she planning to do to the clan?"

"Hn."

"How bad is it?"

"..."

Shisui grabbed Itachi's shoulders. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"..."

"Itachi?"

"... Sorry."

It was something that affected their clan so much that Itachi won't risk telling Shisui even though Michiko didn't directly order him not to. Michiko's decision had been influenced by something Itachi deemed was his own fault so Itachi was probably going to be an idiot and try and solve this himself.

Shisui stared down at Itachi's eyes. "Itachi. Tell me. I can help you."

Itachi looked doubly unimpressed. "When have you done anything good when Michiko-hime is involved?"

Shisui's face scrunched up as he tried to think of something. "Well, okay, so maybe we've had a bad start, but I haven't done something too disastrous."

"..."

"That was an accident!"

"50 million ryo."

"It's not that bad! The Uchiha were pissed, but they're always pissed! The Nara and Akimichi didn't mind that much and I'll have it paid off soon!"

"50 million ryo. You got yourself into a 50 million ryo debt and thought it was a good idea to stalk her."

"I wasn't stalking her!"

"You broke into her house, interrogated her mother and dug up all her records."

"It's research! It's standard!"

"You tailed her for a year."

"Nine months!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"Shuddup! I was looking out for you!"

"That's beside the point."

Shisui pouted. "Why does no one appreciate me?"

"Maybe because you don't do anything people appreciate."

Shisui threw Itachi his best kicked puppy eyes. It had absolutely zero impact on Itachi. "Why are you always so mean to me?"

"Why do you repeatedly attempt the same thing to no effect?"

"Don't answer my question with a question!"

"Hn."

"What I did has nothing to do with this! Is there really nothing you can tell me?"

"..."

Shisui sighed. "I'll just go ask her."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You'll make it worse."

"But that's what I always do! I mean, not making things worse, but interrogating her every time she does weird shit."

Itachi gave him a deadpan stare.

"That's not working this time, Itachi. We're not going off-topic again."

Itachi gave his small frustrated little pout. It was cute as hell, but Shisui was not going to be distracted again.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't sprint to Suna and slit her throat. And yes, I know it's that serious."

"... She's our only hope."

"No, she's not. If she can find a solution, so can we."

"Then tell me. What solution have you come up with?"

"We still have time!"

"Even if she's not our only hope, she's the best bet. Things are happening too fast. As soon as I'm S-class, the clan will move."

Something snapped within Shisui as the storm that had been boiling exploded outwards.

"If you trust her so much then why are you worrying?! Talk to me, Itachi! What did she do to you?!"

"I can't-"

Shisui grabbed Itachi and shook him. "You can! Have you forgotten? I am your cousin! I am your brother! I will never betray you so just tell me!"

Itachi couldn't meet his eyes. "... I can't risk it."

Shisui pushed Itachi away. "Fine then. I'll go get answers from her directly."

Itachi looked alarmed as he quickly grabbed Shisui's shirt. "Don't. Please. I need- I can't- please."

Shisui gripped Itachi's wrist tightly, trying to get him to let go but Itachi refused. "I won't kill her. Now let go."

Itachi looked at him doubtfully. "Really?"

Shisui gritted his teeth. "Yes. I promise. NOW LET GO!"

Itachi startled at Shisui's sudden yell and released his shirt. Shisui stomped to the window and opened it. With one backwards glance at Itachi's shocked and confused face, Shisui left.

* * *

A few hours later, Itachi heard a knock on his study door. "Itachi."

"Mother."

Mikoto entered and placed a plate of dango and a cup of tea in front of him. "What's bothering you?"

Itachi stared listlessly at the food. "Just the future."

Mikoto sighed. "I see."

Itachi turned to Mikoto. "Mother, what do you think?"

Mikoto smiled regretfully. "I wish there was a better way."

"If everyone wishes for peace, why does it always end like this?"

"Not everyone's intentions are so pure. Many fear us. They want power. Prestige. Fame. Greed drives the world forward, for better or for worse."

"... Is having desires bad?"

"Everyone has them. It is a necessity. If you were to label all of mankind as 'bad' for having desires, then the term loses its meaning."

"But every one of us desires home and comfort. Every one of us also desires some sort of accomplishment and competition. Is the desire for peace good if it is within all of us? Is the desire for conflict bad?"

"Desires are neither inherently good or bad. Labelling them as such is just something we humans like to do. Whether something can be truly considered right or wrong is up to you."

Itachi turned back to his food. "It's up to me?"

Mikoto leant down to hug Itachi. She slid off his forehead protector, smoothed his hair back and kissed his forehead. "Yes. You have to decide as your own person."

"I have to… decide. As a human being."

Something in Mikoto's expression cracked as she looked down at Itachi. "Yes."

The two of them stayed like that for awhile before Mikoto broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Itachi. I'm sorry."

"Me too, Mother."

* * *

Itachi stood outside of a heavily warded door in a civilian neighbourhood. Noa opened the door before he even knocked.

"Noa-sensei."

"Itachi, come in." Noa looked a little exhausted and her appearance wasn't as well done as it usually was. Her fingernails were bare and her face bore little makeup. "How was your trip to Suna?"

Itachi stepped in and removed his shoes. "It was a learning experience."

"I heard Michiko got herself tangled up in another situation."

"Yes. She and Akio-san will be unable to return for the time being."

"She's really attracted to danger, that girl."

"She has some unusual habits."

Noa snorted. "An understatement. So? What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I heard about what happened in the second and final phase. Everyone paying attention has at this point. Have you sorted it out?"

"... No."

"Do you plan to?"

"I would like to."

"Good. If you're going to continue on this path, you'll meet many allies worse than Michiko. I can assure you, her actions are quite common amongst the older ninja."

"I know."

"Do you really?"

"..."

"Books aren't enough, Itachi. You have to experience it."

"Forgive me, but I believe my experience to be fairly sufficient."

Noa sighed. "How many friends do you have?"

"Two."

"Outside of the Uchiha?"

"None."

"And how many ordinary ninja acquaintances do you have? On average, how many interactions do you have with the ninja outside of your circle every month?"

"None."

"How strong do you think Akio is?"

"A little above your average chuunin."

"He's B-class. A little bit more and he'll make it to A-rank. Scenario 1: If your average Konoha chuunin suddenly approaches you and begins pestering you about your clan and your cousin, what is his objective?"

"To gather information for use against my clan."

"He probably just wants gossip material. Either that or your cousin stole his girlfriend and he wants revenge. Next scenario. You are new on the team. The team captain moves slowly and keeps taking long detours for little reason and everyone on the team is on board with it. Why?"

"It is a test of my abilities to take orders."

"No. It is a test of your ability to keep quiet. It's probably a team of slackers and they're testing to see if you're one of them."

"With all due respect, the answers I've given are possibilities."

"That's the problem. All of your answers are textbook answers. The kind that normal ninja would only give on an academy test. You have no experience, no concept of the ordinary. You're used to being part of a well-oiled ninja squad, not a group of people. When confronted with simple social interactions, you immediately jump to the conclusion that there is some deeper, questionable intent."

"What does this have to do with Michiko-hime?"

"I bet you've spent countless hours mulling over how she got that way and how someone like her could exist."

"How did you know?"

Noa laughed. "I told you, didn't I? She's a common character and you're having a typical genin reaction. In my opinion, you aren't ready for the promotion, but it's no surprise that you got it anyway. She may seem otherworldly to you, but she's probably one of the sanest murder enthusiasts out there. Her reasons are simple. She likes it so she does it. There is no need to think so deep."

"How would you know that?"

"It's obvious to anyone with an experienced eye. She's stubborn, insubordinate and callous. Coupled with her lack of morals, selfishness and calm outlook, ninja like her tend to engage in such activities as a means of destressing. It may seem irrational to you, but it's usually a calculated cost/benefit analysis."

"Just because it's normal and… accepted doesn't mean it's right."

"It's wrong, but I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about you. If you have such a huge reaction every time one of your colleagues go on a killing spree, you won't survive in this world. You need to toughen up a lot more before you're ready for the world stage, kid. As it is, you're way too mentally delicate. I'll arrange some desensitisation and team missions for you."

"Thank you, but will this… change anything?"

"You mean will it condition you to be undyingly loyal to Konoha? Of course not. I will not stand for it and I have more than enough underground connections to make sure that never happens."

"That doesn't sound like something a Konoha kunoichi should say."

"Now that all of you are promoted, I am no longer in charge of you so I retired again."

"Service to the village is life-long."

"Expected to be life-long. If you're ready to leave your clan, be viewed as a traitor by all your friends and spend the rest of your life dodging assassination attempts from the ANBU, you could technically get out of duty until they manage to frame you for something. Unless you're S-class, famous or they think they can squeeze some use out of you. Then they probably won't try to kill you, but you'll still have to deal with all the guilt trip and brainwashing attempts."

Itachi resisted the urge to scrunch up his nose in distaste. "Is that another 'normal' thing?"

Noa shrugged. "It's SOP if you're jounin and up. They let most genin off, but if they work in the Intelligence sector, it's a guarantee even if all they do is sort paperwork and scrub toilets."

"How is this fine?"

"It's not, but that's how the world works. You either accept it, deny it or try to change it. The second is idiotic and I've seen what happens to people who try the third."

A baby's cry was heard from a room. Noa walked towards it and after a moment of hesitation, Itachi followed. To his surprise, there was not one, but two babies in the cot.

Noa grabbed the diapers and lifted the boy out of the cot. "It was twins. The boy is Sei and the girl is Shiro."

"I see." Itachi watched for a while as Noa changed the diapers and comforted her son. "Noa-sensei, you came out of retirement for your Arakida-sensei, right?"

"What of it?"

"What would you do for your children?"

"You mean would I become a kunoichi if it meant a better world for them?"

"Yes."

Noa shooked her head, amused. "That's nothing but a pipedream. One person can't change the world for the better. Sei and Shiro would be better off with a caring mother than a distant protector."

"But if you could, would you? If there was something only you could do to protect this world, would you?"

"Not at the cost of my family."

Itachi looked down. Was it like that for everyone? To have something they would never give up for greater good? It was alright, wasn't it? To swear loyalty to Michiko in exchange for Sasuke's life? Itachi knew Michiko could and would order him to commit atrocities against his own countrymen and clansmen. What she asked of him may not be in service of world peace. Was it fine to blindly kill in order to spare a single life?

It wasn't. But Itachi knew deep down that's what he would do.

Noa sighed. "I don't know what mess Michiko got you into, but I think you should pull out. Michiko's the type that dies quickly or lives long. Either way, you don't want to be against or allied with ninja like her. Those stupid enough to tend to have shorter lifespans."

"Why? Why do you try and teach me if you've given up on her?"

"She's already in too deep. I know a lost cause when I see one. Unless we lock her up in the Yamanaka Compound for the next decade, we're not getting through to her."

"We can't change her?"

"It's not worth the effort. We'd have to use illegal means."

"Is there no other way?"

"I wish there was."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Drop by tomorrow. I'll have something worked out for you."

"Thank you, Noa-sensei."

Itachi left soon after and Noa stood there for a while, staring at the door. She shook her head in resignation.

"He's not going to listen, is he?"

She looked down at Sei and ground her teeth in frustration.

"Why, Seishiro? Why? Why of all teams did you have to land this one?"

* * *

Itachi sat in his favourite sweet shop with a chocolate cake and a smoothie. It was a cutesy little dessert cafe and all the waitresses wore tight miniskirts and expected tips. Shisui had gotten himself permanently banned for harassing one of the waitresses and Itachi would've been banned by association had said waitress not decided to forgive him on account of his age.

To be honest, Itachi was getting a little concerned over Shisui's growing fixation on Michiko. It wasn't the stalking, interrogation and illegal information gathering. That was usual. Shisui did his 'standard procedure' on any girl he planned to date for more than two months even though the average length of his 'serious' relationships was two weeks. Itachi had told him time and time again that ANBU kunoichi booby trapping your home and hordes of civilian women spray painting Uchiha property was probably a sign of something wrong with his methodology but Shisui refused to listen.

The main reason why so many of Shisui's relationships fell apart was that he gave up too easily. He wanted an easy relationship and running away from the first sign of trouble prevented him from forming any meaningful connections. Itachi didn't profess to be proficient with relationships, but he was certain that changing the subject or using the shunshin every time a disagreement came up was detrimental to long-lasting bonds.

But it was different with Michiko. It was the opposite. Shisui sought out confrontation with Michiko at every turn and detested her. A quarter of their conversations devolved to Shisui trying to get Itachi to leave Michiko. Right up until he left, it had happened with increasing frequency and he was worried that Shisui would take drastic action against Michiko. That Itachi would spend the rest of his life wedged in between them.

Someone came up to his table, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up.

"Izumi-san."

Izumi smiled back at him. "Itachi-kun. Congratulations on your promotion! Are you free now?"

"Yes. Please take a seat. How have you been?"

Her smile faded slightly as she sat opposite him. "I'm trying to graduate early. Mum's been overworking and she got sick last week."

"You work hard. I'm sure you'll succeed."

Izumi's smile widened a little. "You're too kind. I'm not sure if I'll make it yet."

A waitress came and placed a menu on the table. Izumi thanked the waitress and started looking through the menu, turning a little pale as she read the prices. Itachi recalled Shisui telling him that the prices here were astronomical for the average chuunin, let alone someone like Izumi.

"I'll pay for you." Itachi offered.

"Oh no, it's fine. I'll just have a…" She scanned the menu for the cheapest option. "I'll just have a soda."

"I chose this place. I should pay."

"It's not like you invited me. I was the one who intruded."

"You don't really want a soda."

"But it's rude to sit and not order anything."

"Shall we move to a more suitable place? I've almost finished my cake."

"But your smoothie-"

"You can help me finish it. It's strawberry."

Izumi blushed. "I-I suppose. I'll ask for a new straw."

Izumi requested for a new straw and they sat quietly as Itachi finished his cake and drank the smoothie slowly, making sure to leave some for Izumi. The straw arrived and Itachi left the rest for Izumi.

"You can still drink it if you want." Izumi said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"It's fine. I want some space for the dango later. You're fine if we go to another sweet shop, right?"

"Of course. But I probably won't be ordering much."

"We can sit in my private training ground. That way you wouldn't have to buy anything."

"I suppose. But is it really alright for me to go? I mean, it's main house property and the last time… wasn't very nice."

"Father is working and Mother approves of you."

Izumi lit up. "Really? Your mum is very nice."

"Mother thinks you're a good and humble girl. It's rare she approves of Uchiha girls your age."

Izumi blushed shyly. "Wow. Are you sure you're not exaggerating?"

"I have no reason to."

"R-right. Of course. You're always straight with me. Sorry, I'm just not used to it."

"Are you still getting trouble?"

"It's mostly from other girls in the Red Army. Just petty, mean stuff. Nothing I can't handle. I don't really talk to the adults or the boys."

"You will have to."

Izumi grimaced. "I know. I just- Can I let you in on a secret? Don't tell anyone."

"Of course."

"I-I want to work in the ninja forces. Not with the clan. I know it's silly, but I don't want to work so hard just to be a receptionist at the police station. That's where all the Uchiha kunoichi work and I know I'll never get promoted no matter what I do. Not to sound ungrateful to the clan, but the pay isn't very good and I know it's really hard work, even if Mum doesn't say anything."

"I understand. I'll do my best to help you."

Izumi looked at him with a mix of hopefulness and incredulity. "R-really?"

"I don't promise anything but I'll try and convince my father. I may need you to make some friends in the coming years." If Izumi could make friends outside of the clan, his father would be inclined to let her socialise with the main force. After all, to Fugaku, Izumi wasn't anyone important or valuable and they could do without another coffee lady. Having her improve the clan's reputation was probably the greatest benefit she could provide the clan.

"Make friends?"

"Yes. With ninja from other clans."

Izumi bit her lip. "I don't know. I'm not very popular…"

"It's your best shot."

"But if it'll help me do real ninja work then I'll try my best!"

"Good."

Izumi quickly finished up the last of the smoothie. "Shall we go now?"

Itachi stood up and Izumi followed him. He paid, left a sizable tip and they walked to the dango shop. As they approached the dango shop, Itachi spotted- oh dear.

"Itachi-kun!" squealed Kaori. Behind her stood her younger sister, Hanako, who looked just as dismayed as Itachi and Izumi felt.

Hanako bowed. "Good afternoon, Itachi-sama."

Itachi nodded back. "Hanako-san. Kaori-san."

Kaori beamed back, completely missing Itachi's cool tone. "Fancy meeting you here! Are you here for dango?"

"Yes."

"That's great! The four of us can have tea break together!"

Itachi raced through suitable refusals and Izumi looked like she wanted to defend Itachi but didn't know how. Hanako just looked faintly horrified.

"Onee-sama! We can't possibly-" Hanako turned to Itachi and bowed. "I apologise for my sister's inappropriate behaviour."

Itachi nodded in acknowledgement. He had been introduced to Hanako before but hadn't talked to her yet. He was more than a little relieved that Kaori's sister didn't seem as bad as her. Was it too much to ask for a proper Uchiha lady that didn't try to backstab everyone? "No offence has been taken. However, it's been awhile since I returned to Konoha. I would like some time with my friend."

Hanako gave a polite smile. "Of course. We understand."

Kaori clearly didn't though. She gave a fake smile as her eyes darted back and forth between Izumi and Itachi. "I see. Are you free any other time?"

There was an awkward pause as Hanako gathered her bearings. "Onee-sama, I'm sure Itachi-sama is very busy and has much more important matters to deal with."

Itachi immediately clung to the escape rope Hanako provided. "Indeed. I have a number of things to catch up to and have been granted new duties as per my promotion."

Kaori looked down at Izumi and frowned fiercely. She opened her mouth but Hanako interjected.

"It's been an honour meeting you, Itachi-sama, but I'm afraid my sister and I have matters to attend to. I hope you have a splendid day."

"You too."

Then Hanako quickly grabbed Kaori by the arm and forcibly dragged her away before she could say anything about Izumi. A wise decision. Itachi would've taken the opportunity to drag Kaori's name through the mud and remind everyone just how much he valued Izumi.

Itachi purchased his dango and tea and they hastily made their way through the Uchiha compound, eager to avoid any backhanded comments the elders might have. They didn't encounter anyone and they both settled on the table and chairs Itachi had in his training ground. He often ate here with Shisui to avoid politics as the place had strong barriers. No one could enter without the main house's permission.

Izumi watched longingly as Itachi ate his dango. Itachi frowned. It was rude to let a lady watch him eat. "Are you sure you don't want one?"

"It's fine, really. I don't want to get fat."

"It's hard for ninja to become overweight. Quite the opposite, in fact. Many suffer from some sort of nutritional deficiency from unbalanced and inconsistent diets. You should eat more."

Izumi shifted nervously and played with her hair. "Do you… like girls who eat a lot?"

"... I do not understand the question."

"N-nevermind. Anyway, is there something bothering you?"

Itachi frowned. Was it that obvious? "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just… you seem a little sad and… heavy? I know it sounds stupid but it's like you've been infected by the air around here. I don't know why but it's been getting a bit suffocating in the clan compound. Or maybe it's just me. I don't know."

"Good."

"What?"

"Good. It's better this way. Don't dig deeper."

"What?"

He couldn't get Izumi involved any further with his affairs. "Try and stay out of clan matters."

"Why? Is something going on?"

A biting tone entered his voice. "It's for your own good. Stay away."

Izumi was taken aback at his sudden harshness. "Itachi-kun?"

"I apologise but you really shouldn't mess with my affairs."

"But there's something bothering you, isn't there? You can tell me. I wouldn't tell anyone."

"I can't say."

"... Oh. It's a classified thing?"

"Yes."

Izumi looked down at the table. "I see."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Izumi looked up again. "But if you need someone, I'll always be here!"

"Thank you."

Izumi gave him a small smile and continued to watch him eat. "So about Kaori-san, she's getting a little better."

Itachi gave her a skeptical look.

"I said 'a little'! I'm sure she's just as bad on the inside but she's gotten better at acting. I was a bit surprised when I saw her reverting back."

"Her sister?"

"I don't know that much about Hanako-san. She's not in the Red Army and she doesn't socialise a lot. She stays home most of the time training in arts like poetry and calligraphy. She's very proper and polite. Nothing weird or suspicious about her. She's a year younger than Kaori and seems to be an average kunoichi. She's nothing special in terms of physical or political power. She's really, really beautiful though so I don't think it matters much. She's probably got a ton of marriage proposals by now."

"She's not betrothed yet?"

"I haven't heard of anything. Come to think of it, that's a bit weird. Girls like her usually get promised by the time they're 10. Then again, the two of you are only three years apart and Kaori-san hasn't been promised to anyone either. I'm sure all the high-class girls delay their betrothals if they think they have a chance with you. Or your brother."

Itachi wasn't pleased with being reminded of that particular clan duty, especially since the only likeable Uchiha girl was right in front of him and he couldn't marry her. If only Izumi was a full-blooded Uchiha. Even if she had been of the lowest of branches, if her father had been Uchiha perhaps he could persuade the clan council. Maybe if Izumi proved herself somehow? Even then, he was pretty sure witchcraft was needed and that meant… Regardless, he could never persuade the council. But maybe if the council was… gone and he found some way to spare the innocent, it would be possible. He would take responsibility, marry Izumi and have as many children as she was willing to bare in order to rebuild the clan.

"Izumi-san. Without the council's interference, would you marry me?"

As soon as the words left his mouth he realised what a bad idea it was. Izumi choked on her air, her face turning completely red. "I-I-What? But-you-I-WHAT? You-I-Itachi-kun, d-did you just propose to me?"

"I apologise. I'm not in the right frame of mind. It was extremely selfish of me to request such a thing without considering your feelings." Izumi deserved better. She won't be satisfied with a life dedicated to child rearing. More than that, she deserved a better partner than he could possibly be. He never had time, was socially obtuse and didn't know the first thing about treating a lady right. He doubted Izumi's innocent crush would last once she saw just how disgusting he was on the inside.

Itachi waited as Izumi tried to calm down. "I-It's fine. It's just a real shock. That's all. I mean, to be asked by you of all people? I never thought anyone would be interested. It's-It's just really flattering."

"I'm sure you will find someone."

This seemed to snap her out of it. Izumi smiled sadly. "Thank you but I know that's not the case. The clan made sure Mum agreed I won't marry outsiders before they gave her any money. It's legal and everything because of my sharingan. I'm a half-breed. No one will taint their bloodline in order to marry me."

There was nothing he could say to that and there was nothing he could do for her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. Besides, I don't have to get married. I'm sure I'll be happy as a kunoichi. You've already helped me a lot."

They shared a silence and Itachi resolved to do whatever he could to help Izumi.

"Izumi-san. From now on, try to get as little involved with clan politics as you can. Surround yourself with friends. Protect yourself. Be happy and leave the worrying to me. If you have any trouble or see anything suspicious, tell me."

"But what about the Red Army?"

"The information you've given me is more than enough. I'm sure I'll be able to find a suitable wife."

Izumi didn't seem satisfied with his answer. "I suppose I could expand my circle to outside the clan. Not many are going to trust me though."

Even if Itachi told her not to, she would do it either way. Besides, Itachi could use this. If he told his father that he asked Izumi for information, his father would tolerate his friendship with Izumi better and would be inclined to give her more freedom. "Don't push too hard. Your safety is worth much more."

"What about you?"

"It doesn't matter what I do. My safety can never be assured."

"But-"

"Izumi. Please. Trust me."

Izumi bit her lip. "... Fine. But if there's anything I can do, tell me."

"Hn."

They didn't linger on the topic any further and they chatted pleasantly throughout the tea break. As Izumi left, Itachi's resolve only grew.

He was born in the lap of luxury as the highest of ninja nobility and with his blood came power and responsibility. As a member of the main house, it was his duty to make sure no expense was spared in the welfare of his people. As clan head, his duties would eventually encompass everyone in the clan from Sasuke to Izumi to Kaori.

But Itachi knew he was unworthy of leading them. Not when he couldn't even save them from themselves. From their own allies. Right now, he only had one duty: Sasuke. If he could save Sasuke and hopefully Izumi, then perhaps he would amount to something after all.

If he could keep them innocent, then maybe there was hope.

* * *

A few days later, Itachi woke up in the dead of night with Shisui sitting in the corner staring at him.

"Shisui?"

"What do you plan on doing?"

"She told you?"

"Yes. She's worse than I thought."

"It's not her-"

"It is her fault! Protesting was the right thing to do! She was crazy for thinking you'd be okay with what she did!"

"I should've been better."

Shisui sneered. "If better means being a mindless machine then I don't want you to be better."

"Shisui, I am a ninja. Being a machine is my job."

"No, it's not! You can't just blindly follow someone and act surprised when things go to shit! You have a brain, Itachi! Use it! Just because you're not as good as the Nara doesn't mean you should let them do all the thinking!"

"But a ninja has to-"

Shisui flashed over to Itachi, grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "I DON'T CARE! You are human! You have your own thoughts, your own dreams and your own morals! Follow them! Doing what your leader tells you to is not always the right course!"

Itachi felt a spark of anger. "What about you? Have you done a mission you thought was wrong? Did you defy the Hokage's orders?"

"All ANBU missions are wrong but-"

"It's for greater good? You didn't know why the mission needed to be done. You didn't know if it was necessary. You didn't know what consequences there would be if you didn't go through. But you did it anyway. You trusted the government. You trusted the Hokage. You trusted your masters. How are my actions different?"

"The witch isn't trustworthy! She's a psychotic mass murderer and she probably doesn't even want real peace!"

"Every ninja is a murderer and almost all have some sort of mental issues. Five years have passed since the Third World War and the mental clinics still have a major backlog of PTSD ninja who have received no treatment. And you don't even know your ANBU colleagues. You don't even know who your ANBU commanders are or who the Head of ANBU is. Half the big wigs in power have no interest in peace and the clan system is completely fractured because of clans vying for power. How is that any better than Michiko-hime?"

"She's actively trying to turn you into a machine!"

Anger grew. "So is Konoha!"

"Do you understand?! You are going to be a murderer! You will slaughter children just because she says so! Children just like Sasuke!"

"Even if I left her, my fate as a killing machine will not change!"

"You could run away!"

Itachi gaped at Shisui for a second before violently pushing him away, unable to believe what he'd just heard. "W-what did you say?"

"You could run! You're not cut out for this life, Itachi! You will crumble, you will break and you have no chance of coming out of this mess with your mind intact! Right now, you can still-"

Itachi punched Shisui in the face. Shisui stared back in shock at Itachi's face full of anguished rage. "I am Uchiha Itachi! I am the Uchiha clan heir! The prodigy of the generation! The hope of my people! I have my duty to Michiko-hime, Konoha and the Uchiha! I was born to be dirtied and sacrificed! That is what it means to be a ninja! I've sworn my life to protecting the people and you are telling me to run?! If my hands were meant to be stained either way, then the least I can do is pave the way for the next generation!"

"We don't know how she thinks and we don't know what she would do! If a little freedom makes her go on a mini-rampage, what is she going to do with the power to change the world? At least we know the people in charge of Konoha aren't randomly going to decide to start a war for fun!"

"They're not just going to hand power over to her! There will be people to keep her in check!"

"You know that's not her style! She's not going to gather all of them in one room to deliver an impassioned speech that'll win all their hearts! She's going to be bribing, planting spies and plotting assassinations to get her way!"

"She relies on the promise of peace! Most of her allies will not follow her if she strays!"

"Not if she has people like you! Most of her powerhouses are personally loyal! They swore fealty to her, not her cause!"

"Everyone else is like you, afraid to take chances. Did you think Konoha was formed risk-free? Do you know how hard it must have been for the clans to set aside a century's worth of blood and sacrifice for a sliver of peace? They were desperate! Someone has to take that first step! Someone has to shoulder the risk and Michiko seems to be the only person willing to do that. I'm going to her, Shisui. Whether you like it or not."

Shisui's face crumpled into a deep felt frustration, resentment and aimless anger. "Why can't- why can't you just stay safe? Why does it have to be you?"

Itachi's brief flare of temper vanished at the sight of Shisui backing down.

"Because I am Uchiha Itachi. I will never be free."


	32. Fate

Shisui and Itachi arrived in Suna two weeks later. It was early April and it was starting to heat up so the two Uchiha were constantly sticky with sunscreen. They were part of a squad going to aid Suna and Shisui joked with them all the way. But after being around Michiko for so long, Itachi had learnt how to see through smiles and Shisui's rang hollow.

Itachi knew Shisui's intentions were good but he was also prone to taking extreme measures when it came to Itachi and Itachi worried for Michiko's safety. Shisui refused to tell him what went down during their conversation but Itachi had a feeling that he hadn't been very civil.

Beyond that, Itachi wasn't even sure if Michiko wanted him back. He had rendered his oath of loyalty meaningless by breaking it so she had no real reason to trust him. He needed her but she could easily do without him. She may be better off without him and she would definitely take advantage of that when going into negotiation. The price would be steep but as long as she could secure Sasuke, Itachi was willing to pay. He just didn't have much to offer her.

The two of them spent the day checking in, getting briefed and doing missions. Shisui was mostly assigned to delivery missions because he could single-handedly take on half of them at lightning speed. Itachi was assigned to guard and supervision duties, directing other ninja and making sure that the civilians weren't being harassed by the ninja.

For the first time in his life, Itachi felt what it was like to be judged by merit. The ninja gave him proper respect because of his rank. Those who didn't respect him did so out of his age rather than his blood but those were few and far between. Even if they didn't respect him, they were quelled by him after his showing at the Suna tournament. It was the first time he had ever directed a group of competent ninja and Itachi found that he rather enjoyed it.

But eventually, Itachi had to cast aside those distractions and face Michiko. For the last three days, he had tried to sneak away as soon as he was done but Shisui always beat him to it and tried to tail him. Itachi really didn't want Shisui to be there when Michiko laid out her terms. He was sure Shisui would do something rash.

He was eating in a quiet corner during lunch break when Akio came up to him.

Itachi looked up at him. Akio slammed a scroll down on the table and stomped away. It seemed as though Akio's anger had not abated. No matter. If Michiko took Itachi in, Itachi doubted she would force him to work with Akio.

Itachi recognised it to be one of Michiko's usual ridiculously over-guarded scrolls. Since she'd figured out how to make them reusable, she tended to send out casual lunch invitations with A-class information security scrolls. He knew he could open it in public because no one but him would be able to see it. He did so and the message in there was simple.

You have until tonight. Pack up and bring everything. Bathe thoroughly before coming. I live near the R&D building. Shisui will not be able to enter. If he tries to harm me, maim him.

Itachi took out his water canteen and a tissue. He dampened the tissue and rubbed the ink off the scroll before tucking the scroll into his backpack. Michiko might kill him if he lost it.

It was nearly eleven in the evening when Itachi managed to make his way to the outskirts of Suna. He only knew the rough location of the R&D building but he had no trouble finding Michiko's apartment. With all major administrative buildings destroyed, it was easily the most heavily warded building in Suna and it radiated chakra like the sun. Itachi had thought that her home security was extravagant, but it was nothing compared to what she had going on here.

Shisui was right beside him. A somber air hung around Shisui and he looked prepared for war. As they crossed threshold of the building, Shisui's head slammed into the barrier. Knowing that ANBU were around, Shisui held his tongue but anyone could tell he wasn't pleased.

Itachi raced up two flights of stairs to the room with the most chakra emissions. He noted that the rooms around her were inhabited by skilled ninja, some he recognised from Konoha. The Suna ANBU and Konoha liaisons had probably taken up residence here.

Itachi knocked on the door. Akio slowly opened it and peeked out. He opened the door and silently let Itachi in with only a mild glare. Itachi's eyes fell on Michiko. She was lounging on the floor reading in a loose dress with a towel around her hair. She sat up lazily, put down the book, removed the towel from her hair and began rubbing down her hair.

She looked up at him. "I demand nothing less than absolute obedience. What are your terms?"

"I want you to guarantee Sasuke's life."

Michiko sighed. "I'll make sure he makes it past the Uchiha's coup and that he'll live until he's S-class. No further."

"Why?"

"Do you know how hard it is to keep an active ninja alive? Not to mention he's a mainline Uchiha and the sharingan is about to get extremely rare. I don't know why, but something about special eyeballs just stirs up the crazy in ninja. Once he can beat you, he'll be fine as long as he doesn't do anything too stupid. I'll allow you to go if you think he's in danger but I'm not going anywhere near him more than I have to."

"How about my clan?"

"They're still going to die."

"What would I have to give to save them?"

Michiko shrugged. "There's almost nothing that can outweigh the disadvantage of having hundreds of sharingan lying about."

"What do you mean?"

Michiko ignored his question. "If you leave this room without agreeing to my terms, I will not allow you back into my service."

If Itachi swore loyalty to her now, there was very little he could do to prevent his clan's death. Everything he currently owned and everything he could obtain in the future would belong to her. He would have nothing to offer her because everything that was his would be hers. But Itachi couldn't wait any longer or he would lose Michiko's patience and the choice would be taken out of his hands.

"... I agree to your terms."

"Good. What time do you have to go to work tomorrow?"

"8 am."

Michiko got off the floor. "Follow me."

She walked into the bedroom. Itachi and Akio followed. She grabbed a scroll and brush and handed it to Itachi.

"Sign."

Itachi signed without reading the document. She placed the scroll on her table and pointed to one of the beds.

"Strip completely. Lie down."

After a brief pause, Itachi complied. He removed his backpack and various pouches and scrolls, took off his clothes and accessories and laid down on the bed. Michiko placed her glowing green hand on his forehead. Itachi felt his body get heavy and within seconds, he slipped into the unconscious.

* * *

"Akio, I'm going to tattoo a seal onto Itachi. Bring me the equipment."

Akio looked at Itachi uncertainly. Michiko's face was walled off, a sign that she was conflicted. "What type?"

"... A slave seal."

Akio felt his face go slack with shock as he processed the information. He didn't know what he had been expecting but he had prepared himself to endure the bastard's existence for the rest of his life. He had subconsciously imagined them being somewhat like they used to be, with Itachi doing all the important stuff and Akio in the backgrounds with Michiko. He'd expected Michiko to punish Itachi but a slave?

"I thought you loved him."

Michiko stared down at Itachi, frustration, resentment and doubt lining her face. "I should've killed him back then. After I realised my mistake, I should've tortured him. I've become too soft."

"Too soft?" Akio hesitated for a moment. "Then what would you consider normal?"

"Akua would've paralysed Itachi. I would've broken every bone in his body one by one, healed him and broken his bones again. Then I would've stuck his arms and legs into fire and left them till the nerves were burned beyond repair. Then I'd rip off all non-vital chakra veins so he could feel his own body rotting off. Afterwards, I'd break his spine so he would be permanently paralysed from neck down. I'd kidnap Izumi, gouge her eyes out, strip her naked and do the same thing to her for Itachi to watch. After I can't do anything else, I would place her on a spike and slowly lower her onto it. After Izumi dies, I would drown Itachi in her blood. Then I'd take his eyes and nail his body to a crucifix for everyone to see."

Akio gaped. He'd thought Michiko was reluctant to be harsh on Itachi but she was bothered by how soft she was?

"So… this is a heavy compromise?"

"Of course. I even promised to take care of his brother."

Once again, Akio felt a heavy rift between them. A strange disconnect that only got larger the more Michiko revealed about herself. Akio was sure that there was more to her past than meets the eye and there was an undying curiosity that burned within him. What on earth could she have lived through to shape her into the person that she was today?

"You can't forgive him?"

Michiko snorted with acrid incredulity. "I've already given up too much. I don't plan for this life to go past 50. I've never been past 50. I always get backstabbed or tortured to death before that. My mind will shatter if I go any softer. Don't know if you've noticed but this world doesn't really reward kindness or mercy."

There she went again, spouting cryptic bullshit that probably wasn't actually bullshit. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you when I've gotten a better grasp on mind protection seals. Now, the equipment?"

Akio hesitated as he stared at Itachi's unconscious body. A flicker of pity flashed through him. Akio didn't fancy himself to be a good person and he had long since given up on being one. There had been a point where he'd tried, at least in front of Ayano, to be 'good'. But constantly doing the right thing and being nice to everyone was mentally exhausting. It felt fake. It felt unnatural. Akio had envied Itachi for his supernatural talents. Itachi didn't even need to try, being good was a part of him that came more naturally than any genjutsu ever had. But now, Akio saw what Michiko saw. Itachi's nature was a liability and an easily exploitable weakness. Never before had Akio been so glad he'd never had a natural disposition towards kindness.

"There's no other way?"

Michiko started to look impatient. "So what if I forgave him? It doesn't matter what I do, it won't change anything if he isn't willing to put something at stake. He didn't accept me then and he still hasn't accepted me now. He'd just try to 'fix' me or some other naive bullshit. He hasn't made enough tough choices to see past his rosy pacifism."

"But that's not what you want, right? If he's really your slave then you could do anything to him! You could force him to accept you but you don't because you don't want to!"

At this, Michiko seemed to pause. After a moment's of consideration, she replied. "I suppose you are right. I am stupid. Pass me my equipment."

"What are you going to do?"

"Just pass me my equipment."

Akio frowned but complied as he headed to the living room to grab the appropriate storage scroll. As soon as he left, Michiko sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"God dammit. Kaichi is going to laugh his ass off when he hears about this."

* * *

Itachi woke up and felt Michiko sitting next to him. He was still naked but was lying on his front and felt swathes of Michiko's chakra seeping into his body. He turned over and looked down. There was a mess of swirling ink lines all around his body, most black and grey but there were a few red and green lines. Itachi didn't recognise what type of seal this was but from the way it permeated his body, he was fairly sure it was long-lasting if not permanent.

He glanced at Michiko. She was completely topless and the amazing amount of seals she had on her body were on display. There was one on the side of her right breast that had the same red and green tones she used on his full body seal. Itachi hadn't seen Michiko's breasts before so he couldn't be sure it was a new one. But if it was connected to his seal then it probably controlled his.

After his brief examination of his situation, Itachi looked up at Michiko's face and waited for her to say something. After twenty seconds of tense silence, Itachi took this to mean that he was supposed to take the initiative.

"May I ask what this seal is?"

"It's a slave seal." Looking down at Itachi's faintly stunned face, she sighed. "What? You expected me to take your word for it? Absolute obedience, remember?"

"... Of course. I have no objections." Itachi supposed this wasn't so surprising. He should've expected it. After all, one of his major concerns had been that Michiko won't trust his word. She hadn't, but that didn't matter. The deal had gone through and Sasuke would have the chance to grow strong on his own. Well, that was provided that Michiko kept her end of the deal. Since he had a slave seal on, there was really nothing he could do to enforce it. But Michiko hated going back on deals so Itachi prayed that this wasn't the random time she decided to.

That being said, wasn't having a full body tattoo sort of conspicuous? Itachi could feel chakra pulsing from his face down to his feet so he was sure that absolutely everywhere was covered. He was also sure this was illegal so Michiko won't want anyone finding out. Unless… Itachi wasn't sure what Michiko made him sign but perhaps it was something stating his consent? But she could've easily made him sign after she tattooed the slave seal on so the Yamanaka would need to be involved to verify it and then Michiko's goals would be made public and-

Seeing the confusion on his face, Michiko rolled her eyes. "Just because you're my slave, doesn't mean I expect you to be a mindless idiot and not question things. It just means you have to obey regardless of those questions. Ask."

"Isn't this a little conspicuous?"

The slight twitch of Michiko's left eye told Itachi that a fuuinjutsu lesson was coming. "Doing permanent seals on the skin is stupid. Skin gets ripped and replaced quickly and age causes the skin to grow and loosen. Why do you think large permanent seals aren't visible without chakra? The ink is merely a medium to transfer chakra. After the chakra binds to the chakra system, the ink is removed. I'll keep you here overnight and we'll remove the ink in the morning."

"If it binds to the chakra system, does this mean my chakra will change?"

"It will seem slightly different to others but it will remain the same functionally. You're skilled enough at morphing chakra to hide it. But you haven't practiced doing it in your sleep enough to fool Shisui so you'll be sleeping here until you can. How long are you staying in Suna?"

"Three months."

"You can pick up an elemental release during that time. Getting to B-rank in a second release would change your chakra enough to explain it away. Since we're in Suna, learn the Wind Release."

Itachi was sure he could but it would be rough. He didn't have the luxury to train all day and he would have to do it in between missions and without a proper instructor. He didn't even have proper reading materials on him and he wasn't sure whether the Suna library had been burnt down and if it hadn't, whether it was accessible to foreign ninja. He would have to purchase new scrolls or request them from Konoha.

"I understand."

"Good." Michiko stood up and walked over to the light switch. She turned off the lights and climbed into bed with him.

"Michiko-hime?"

She snuggled deeper into the covers. "We're going to sleep."

"I can sleep on the floor."

Michiko inched closer. Itachi scooted backwards to make space for her but she wrapped her arms around him and shoved his face between her breasts. "No. You will stay here."

Itachi froze up, his eyes wide as he processed the situation. He bit his lip, shame and guilt threatening to overflow. "I still- I can't-"

"It doesn't matter."

"I just… don't understand."

"The feeling is mutual."

"Is wanting to help others unconditionally so hard to understand?"

"Is wanting to rise above and kill your enemies that hard to understand?"

"..."

Michiko snorted in amusement. "We really are incompatible, aren't we?"

"I guess." Itachi hesitated for a second. "I'm sorry."

"I am Akua and I will have what I want. I don't care if it means eating my cake and having it too. You are mine. Now sleep."

Itachi snuggled a little deeper and struggled not to cry.

* * *

Itachi woke up to the sound of Akio shrieking at 5 in the morning.

Michiko groaned. "Akio. Shut up."

Akio sputtered and his arms flailed about. "B-but you and Itachi- how could you-"

"For the last time, Itachi is nine."

"He's a guy! And you're cuddling! NAKED!"

"I have shorts on."

"That doesn't make it any better!"

"I told you I was going to sleep with him."

"I thought you meant he got to use my bed!"

"Itachi's tiny. My bed's big enough for the two of us. He's going to be staying for a while and there's no point in one of us sleeping outside when we can all fit into the bedroom. The bedroom has the best wards, after all."

"We have futon in the closet!"

Michiko hugged Itachi tighter, suffocating him with her breasts. Akio's eyes drifted down to the motion before he could catch himself and he flushed in embarrassment. "I just want something to cuddle at night. Unless you want to take his place?"

Akio let out a strangled stream of gabble, sputters and squeaks as his mouth opened and shut rapidly. Michiko rolled her eyes despite the sadistic curvature of her lip. "I'll let your imagination do the rest of the job."

Michiko got out of bed, prompting Akio to turn around immediately. She grabbed Itachi by the arm and lead him to the bathroom in the hall before Akio could protest. She pointed to the bathtub.

"Get in."

Itachi climbed into the bathtub and Michiko placed her hand on his left shoulder. It glowed with chakra. She removed her hand after a few seconds, took the shower head and turned on the water. She directed the water at his shoulder and the ink on it started to blur. She took a sponge and scrubbed it off, repeating the process on every part of his body until he was completely free of ink.

She turned off the water and stepped back, looking over him critically. "Good. Now let's take it on a test drive. Try and resist."

Without his volition, Itachi slowly reached over, took the shower head from Michiko and replaced it on its holder. No matter how hard he tried, his body won't listen to him and the action was smooth and unimpeded. Itachi swallowed harshly as he felt his back and throat turn to ice. Michiko could force him to kill Sasuke and he won't be able to do a thing.

Michiko smiled with satisfaction. "You're set to go. There's a spare key in the kitchen. I'm going to work now so do whatever."

Michiko left the bathroom and Itachi decided to take a shower since he was already wet. He could hear Michiko and Akio arguing in the distance. They left pretty soon after and Itachi decided to start training before his missions.

The three of them fell into routine quickly and everything was surprisingly normal after Itachi got his slave seal. Shisui continued his stalking and interrogations, Itachi studied the Wind Release and Michiko worked herself to death with Akio hovering over her shoulder, dragging her to shower and eat when needed.

Things were normal on the surface and nothing really changed about his basic function in her life. Neither Michiko nor Akio brought up the incident again and Akio went back to ignoring his existence. However, Itachi noticed that Michiko considered him less when making decisions and there was still some level of bitterness and frustration between them. Despite her insistence on using him as a bolster every night, much of the intimacy and trust in their relationship had been lost. He found himself watching Michiko and Akio's daily morning banter with a strange emptiness and regret. His own friendship with Shisui was strained by Shisui's incessant need to know everything about Itachi. Izumi aside, he had no one else and her companionship and understanding was limited by her innocent outlook on life. Was this how Akio had felt watching Michiko and him? This was a valuable lesson in empathy and consideration if nothing else.

Itachi hated how much time he'd wasted wallowing in self-pity. This was the best he could hope for. He hadn't done anything to deserve such a bond in the first place and he'd taken it for granted. He had assumed he knew everything important about Michiko and had turned a blind eye to the ugly side she casually displayed. Her actions were confusing to him and there was obviously a lot more behind the curtains that he didn't know or understand. Itachi wondered if he ever would. After wasting even more time trying to understand her with the incomplete scraps of information he had, Itachi gave up.

It was time to put the situation behind him and move on. Michiko already had.

* * *

Author's Note:

I will be switching to updating once every two weeks. The next update will be in two weeks.


	33. Sex Talk

Ryosei was awoken at midnight by to someone banging on his door. He stumbled out of bed with a pack of kunai and opened the door to find a courier ninja. The ninja handed him a scroll.

"You have been reassigned."

The ninja left quickly without another word. Ryosei closed the door and opened the scroll, wondering what could be so important.

 _You have been reassigned to an S-rank classified project. You are to report to the Head of the Puppet Brigade at the Research and Development Building on the 6th of April, 5 am._

Ryosei blinked. Well… this was… unexpected. He wasn't anything special or important, just your average chuunin in their mid-20s. His only specialisation was puppetry and surely Katashi would be a better choice? He could guess which project this was and he didn't think he would add much to the table. He would probably be assigned to doing grunt work. If that was the case, then this reassignment was a good thing. It showed that he was trusted with S-class information. Plus, Nara Michiko seemed like an interesting, if slightly unhinged, character. She might become important in a couple of years so it would be useful to take notes now.

After a few more seconds of contemplation, he shuffled over the toilet, lit the scroll on fire and flushed the ashes away. No point thinking too much now. He would see what this was all about tomorrow. Well, in five hours but whatever.

And thus, Ryosei fell back into a peaceful slumber, completely unaware of the perils that awaited.

* * *

Michiko did not like being uninformed. It didn't matter if the information was inconsequential or trivial. If she should know it than she should know it, especially if it changed the course of her schedule in any way at all.

But honestly, she was dealing with the non-existent fuuinjutsu department of Suna. It seemed as if anything fuuinjutsu-related caused the already disorganised and frenzied Suna government to mess up somewhere along the line. This inefficiency was clearly here to stay and Michiko had become numb to it at this point.

Thus, when Michiko arrived at the R&D building to see a new face, she just sighed and shook her head. "So what's the deal this time?"

Katashi stepped forward to do the introductions. "Nara-kun, this is Ryosei, a chuunin from the Puppet Brigade. He will be my assistant supervisor and will step in when I am unavailable. He also has basic fuuinjutsu knowledge and will be available as a lab assistant."

Michiko nodded in acknowledgement. "We've met. But why wasn't I informed of this change in plans?"

"It was a last-minute decision."

"I see." Michiko turned to Ryosei. "What can you do?"

Ryosei shrugged. "I know basic theory."

"Have you been on a research team before?"

"No."

"Have you independently researched anything or attempted to tweak a pre-existing seal before?"

"No." So basically he was just a token presence and was completely useless. He was only here so Katashi could catch some sleep and the Kazekage could tell the council she was technically being 'supervised'.

"I see." Michiko turned to Katashi. "So are you going to tell him what not to do?"

Katashi sighed. "I'm not so cruel as to throw my kouhai to the sharks."

Michiko smiled. Good. She would not have to waste time with this nuisance. "Perfect. Then we shall proceed as scheduled. Will the two of you be working on shifts?"

"After I've shown him the ropes. Even then, I'll be working next door."

Michiko's smile widened to a grin. Despite everything, Katashi's heart was that of a researcher through and through. In the two months of their partnership, Katashi had learned a fair bit about fuuinjutsu and iryoninjutsu from watching Chie and her work. It was just that asking him to head this project was like asking a building architect to do astrophysics. If he was researching next door, that meant that he was back in his field of expertise: puppetry. It also meant that at this point, the Kazekage had clearly given up on checking her work.

"It's been good working with you. You do beautiful work. I look forward to seeing what you will produce."

Katashi sighed again, something he did with increasing propensity around her. "I'm technically still on this project. I'll be popping in once in awhile to check on the two of you."

Michiko gave a sarcastic smile. "Of course, of course. I'll get on with my work now. Make sure not to touch my babies."

"Won't dream of it. I don't think anyone's dumb enough to."

* * *

Shisui had taken to camping outside Michiko's building every night. He met up with Itachi every morning and every night. Whenever he tried to approach the topic of Michiko, Itachi instantly shut down. While Shisui wasn't sure what the exact terms of the negotiation were, he was sure that Itachi had renewed his oath and paid some sort of price. Given how stuffy and stilted Itachi's chakra had become, Shisui had a feeling he'd been punished as well. Since Michiko was under watch 24/7 by Suna ANBU and refused to let him into her apartment, he couldn't extract information from her without risking a breakdown in relations between Konoha and Suna.

Eventually, Shisui got the message and avoided her completely when talking to Itachi. He won't let Michiko come between them and destroy their relationship. Itachi was more than happy to go along so the arrangement worked out well. As long as they pretended she didn't exist, it was almost like before all this bullshit happened. They were both busy with missions but they took time to train together now that Team 11 had officially disbanded.

Since the temperature was now 40 degrees, no one wanted to train outside and most indoor training facilities were reserved for the Suna-nin. It wasn't as bad at night but the hot wind was stifling. Luckily, Shisui had access to one of the designated training grounds for Konoha-nin. But since there weren't many, they had to share and they gained a group of watchers from both Suna and Konoha.

"What are they doing today?" asked one of the ninja who had just arrived on the scene.

"They're moving on the jounin level stuff. Uchiha Itachi's been trying to combine fire and wind chakra for the last hour."

"The last hour? That stuff takes months and he's already a third of the way!"

"I know, right? Crazy! And- holy shit, did he just create a new jutsu?"

A phoenix, about a tenth of the size Itachi usually created, swooped up to the ceiling surrounded by wind. He released control of the fire and the fire rained down, passing through the wind and amplifying it. Even though it was a tenth the size, it had half the firepower of the phoenix he had used in the tournament. The resulting winds burst out, knocking over tables and chairs and the fire was cancelled out by water jutsu that Shisui and other jounin threw at it. Smouldering mist filled the area before a jounin used a wind jutsu to usher it out of the door.

At this point, the jounin and commanding officers were used to being wowed by Itachi's supernatural learning curve and none of them were too shocked over the jutsu Itachi had spontaneously thought up of. One of them, a Suna wind expert that Itachi had learned much from, walked over.

"You need to be more careful with others around. Don't use untested jutsu like that."

Itachi nodded. "I apologise for my recklessness. I was a little carried away by the idea." 

The jounin laughed. "I can see why. So how long did you intend to keep it a secret from us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. You must have been thinking on this for a while and practising, right?"

"... Ah." Shisui snickered. Since Itachi hadn't told him anything, it was probably something Itachi came up with on the spot.

The jounin laughed. "I was just a little surprised that you would show off such a jutsu so openly. Be more careful."

Itachi experienced a small amount of confusion. "'Such a jutsu'?"

"Trump card jutsu."

"I see. I didn't think of it that way."

"Really? Then what would you consider to be a trump card?"

Itachi thought for a moment. "I can't really show you anything 'good', but I have a neat non-lethal genjutsu I could try on you."

"Non-lethal genjutsu?" After a brief flash of incredulity, the jounin shook his head and sighed. "I'll pass. You don't understand limitations well and with your standards of 'good', I don't want to be on the end of a genjutsu you deem 'neat'."

"I understand."

The conversation ended and Itachi went back to training. He hadn't told Shisui why he had a sudden interest in Wind jutsu so he guessed that it had something to do with Michiko. Did Michiko want Itachi to advance through the ranks quickly? After all, the Hokage had all but promised that Itachi would be promoted once he learnt a second elemental release and passed the exam. If Itachi was jounin, he would be allowed on solo missions and that gave him space to move. If Itachi wasn't allowed on solo missions, the clan would view that as a sign of distrust. They would be right, but the Hokage couldn't very well tell them it was a slight against Michiko rather than them. Itachi had always been a subject of contention between the clan and the village.

They had started training at 9 pm and it was midnight when they left. Only a couple of ninja remained. Itachi returned their friendly farewells cordially and he and Shisui left the building.

Shisui slapped Itachi on the back. Itachi stumbled and Shisui laughed at the mild look of reproach Itachi gave him. "Let me guess, you just randomly thought up that kickass jutsu and decided to try it out?"

Itachi straightened himself. "Hn. Michiko-hime says that an apartment within the building can be prepared for you. Stop camping outside her residence."

"But that means I'll be under her barriers, right?"

Itachi gave him an exasperated look. Translation: Quit being so paranoid and irrational. There would be no reason for Michiko to harm you.

"It's SOP! I'm pretty sure I'm less safe under her barriers!"

"Suna has granted her permission to place long-lasting barriers on their soil. I doubt she has exclusive control over the barriers and no offensive barriers would be approved."

Shisui rolled his eyes. "Of course. Because Suna's fuuinjutsu department is soooooo amazing. They would totally be able to find out if she does anything funny to the barriers. Why do you need to stay with her in the first place?"

"Michiko-hime doesn't feel like investing in a bolster."

"Whatever. I'm not sleeping under her barriers."

"Then sleep in your designated quarters."

"Don't wanna."

Itachi's exasperation deepened. "You make the Suna ANBU antsy."

"They're big tough ANBU. They can handle it."

"It's still unpleasant and discourteous."

"But the dormitory is so hot and jutsu is banned! At least I can cast a cooling jutsu out here!"

"You're a big tough ANBU. You can handle it."

Shisui pouted. "When did you grow that smart mouth? And where did my sweet, innocent little cousin go?"

Itachi gave him a deadpan stare. Translation: He died a long time ago. This smart mouth is here to stay. Get used to it.

"Shut up! I'm not dumb!"

"Hn. Either take the offer or sleep in the dorm."

Shisui sighed. "Fine. I'll take the offer."

Itachi stared at him. "Just how loyal are you to your desire to stalk her?"

"I'm not stalking her! I'm looking out for you!"

"That's beside the point."

"The dorm's just horrible, okay? There's this one guy who snores like crazy and another jacks off to necrophilia porn in the middle of the night! And they all either hate me or want to poach jutsu off me. After all, I'm Uchiha and I have an amazing sharingan. A jutsu or two is no big deal and I should totally take three months out of my life to teach them. It's my fault for being talented and I've obviously never dealt with real hardship so I'm clearly obligated to help them. They asked nicely so they're entitled to it and I'm an asshole for refusing! Do you know how hard it is to deal with those fucking idiots! I swear, if I stayed any longer I would've strangled one of those bastards!"

Itachi showed no sympathy. "Temper."

"I know, I know. I'm not actually going to strangle them but I might do something stupid. So tell me more about your new jutsu."

The cousins spent the next couple of minutes discussing jutsu as they arrived at the residence.

"I believe Michiko-hime has refashioned one of the storages on the bottom floor into an apartment."

"You mean she reverted it back to an apartment."

"Hn."

Shisui followed Itachi to an apartment at the end of the corridor. It unlocked when Itachi exerted chakra on the door knob and Itachi let Shisui in. It was a one-bedroom apartment not much smaller than Shisui's own place. The open kitchen was really small but Shisui only used his for making instant noodles or reheating takeout anyway. The bathroom was tiny and didn't have a tub but it was expected. Some of the furniture was damaged and dusty but overall, it was about as much as Shisui expected.

Itachi closed the door behind him and took off his shoes. Itachi frowned in disapproval as Shisui haphazardly kicked his shoes off and left them at the doorway. He picked up both their shoes and placed them neatly to the side. As Itachi surveyed the apartment with a critical eye, the dust and sand obviously bothered him a lot more.

Itachi walked over to the kitchen counter and sat on one of the kitchen stools. "You'll have to hire one of the genin teams to clean up the place."

"Or I could just leave it."

Itachi's almost scandalised face of utter incomprehension caused Shisui to burst out laughing.

"Don't fret, you pedantic clean freak. I can clean it up myself!"

Itachi looked at him disagreeably. "You'd be wasting valuable time. Our training time is limited as it is. I'm sure Suna will appreciate the business."

"Yeah but I'm kind of broke. And in serious debt."

"Then hire a civilian service. There is nothing of value here and you'd have to check over the place regardless. If needs be, I will reimburse you."

Shisui sighed. "Fine, fine. I won't cut into your precious training time. Seriously though, you need to learn to relax sometimes. Maybe if I find a hot maid it'll be worth it."

Itachi's disapproval deepened. "Your fixation on the fairer sex is incorrigible."

Shisui walked over to ruffle Itachi's hair roughly, laughing at Itachi's indignant totally-not-a-pout. "Just give it time, chibi-chan. You'll come around in five years. I can't wait to see all the shenanigans when you go through puberty!"

Itachi let down his hair and retied it. "Hn. On the topic of the fairer sex, Michiko-hime has assigned me an information gathering mission pertaining to you."

It was then that Shisui noted that Itachi had locked the door behind him. And Itachi also hadn't said anything about Shisui being keyed into the lock of this apartment. "Oh really? What's it about?"

"Sexual intercourse. More specifically, the cultural and emotional aspects of it and why it is so pervasive and important amongst our society."

Shisui gaped for two seconds as he fully understood the implications. "That sadistic little cunt! What the fuck is wrong with her?"

"Language. You've never had trouble sexualising all manners of topics unnecessarily. I do not see the issue."

"But-but you're nine!"

"I do not see why certain pieces of information should be withheld from me on account of my age." Itachi stared at Shisui accusingly. "Age is a crude and inaccurate way of determining maturity."

"You don't need to know! You're too young to have sex!"

"Being physically incapable of engaging in an act does not mean knowledge of the act cannot be obtained. As per my duties, I will eventually need to produce an heir. This knowledge will be useful in due time."

"You can learn about it then!"

"That would merely be delaying the issue. From what I can gather, sex is often referenced in conversation and my inability to fully grasp it hinders communication. The earlier this situation is rectified, the better."

"It's wrong!"

"Why?"

"Kids and sex don't go together!"

At this point, Itachi lost his patience. "If you insist on being uncooperative, Michiko-hime shall send you away to deal with Kiri politics."

Shisui gaped. "You won't! How could you?!"

"I have no interest in failing this mission. I shall obtain this information one way or other. Would you not want to control the amount of information I receive?"

Shisui growled. "Fine. But tell your princess that I will get her back for this."

"50 million ryo."

"After that's paid!"

"She's done it once. She can do it again."

"I didn't know who she was back then! It'll different next time."

Itachi looked incredibly skeptical and just waited expectantly.

Shisui racked his brain for ways of getting out of this. His sharingan confirmed that the entire apartment was under lockdown. He might be able to break through if he really seriously tried but not without alerting the ANBU and possibly tearing down the building. Not exactly ideal for Konoha-Suna relations. He could wait it out but Itachi won't give up so easily and that would put a bigger strain on their relationship. Not to mention what Michiko would do to Itachi if he failed. If Michiko was the one who taught Itachi, Shisui was sure she would completely corrupt him. He could just give Itachi the bare amount of information needed without going into anything graphic. Itachi would probably get satisfied with concepts.

Shisui cleared his throat awkwardly as he sat down next to Itachi. "So… um… sex happens when two people really really love each other and they decide to… have babies."

Itachi was decidedly unimpressed. "It is to my understanding that sex is a physical activity that can be achieved without the use of chakra. I do not understand how love is a prerequisite to sex. I understand that sex is a biological imperative for reproduction but you have repeatedly stated your desire to engage in it with complete strangers. I doubt you would like to start a family with all of them."

God this was going to be painful. "I mean you can have sex without love but attraction makes things better. You know, cause you want it? So it's best if you love each other."

"Babies?"

"That's just one reason. Most people do it cause it feels good. And it's like, a bonding experience with your partner."

"So it's a recreational activity."

"Well, yes."

"If it's just a recreational activity, why is there such a big fuss over it?"

Oh god. How was he supposed to explain this? "Oh… um… you know… you start noticing girls and then you want to be with them and then… you know… you start thinking about them all the time… it's just natural I guess. I mean, some guys want a girlfriend just because. Like a trophy girlfriend to show off that they're cool and attractive if they can snag such a hot chick. Or they feel left out and alone when all their friends have one. Some guys want to do sexy things with their girlfriends because it feels good and they just want it. Hormones and everything. Some want companionship and it's just nice to be able to come home to a girl and have a partner who loves you and shares their life with you. Those are the types of girls you want to marry and have babies with, not the trophies or the sexy ones. I mean, it's great if they have everything but it's probably not going to happen. Especially since we only have Uchiha girls to chose from."

"Those are reasons for why one would want a romantic relationship, not sex specifically."

"Well, sex is tied to romance. Some guys have sex to boast and seem cool. Some want it for the rush and some want the bonding experience. Sometimes it's all of them."

Itachi took a second to digest the information. "I can see why the latter two reasons are valid but why is sex something to boast about?"

"It means that you're attractive and girls want you. You're desirable and I guess most people think that means that they're better than other people."

"..."

"I know, kind of stupid. But lots of people want sex and if you're getting a lot, it's something like boasting about how rich you are."

"Attractiveness is determined by genetics. I don't see why people are proud because of their luck."

"It's not all looks. There are other things girls find attractive. Like your personality, your wealth, your social standing, et cetera. Some like a guy to treat them like a princess and some want shitbags for some reason. Some don't care about looks or money and some obsess over it. I met a girl who wouldn't date a guy with a dick smaller than 15 cm. I've also met guys who wouldn't date flat chested girls."

"Why is there an obsession over penis length and breast size?"

How was he supposed to know?! "Um… it's considered attractive?"

"Why?"

"I guess a bigger dick feels better? I dunno! I'm not a girl! Some time ago, everyone decided that a bigger dick was manlier or some shit. And breasts are really nice to touch. I just wanna grab them, you know? And they're sensitive so it feels good for the girl as well."

Itachi looked even more confused. "I don't see what's so special about breasts. They are merely squishy sacks of flesh and I don't see how that's attractive. As far as I can tell, the larger they are, the more problems they cause. Their purpose is to facilitate breastfeeding but larger breast size merely means more fat, not mammary tissue so I struggle to see why big breasts are desirable."

"You'll come around when you grow up."

Itachi obviously didn't agree but he didn't push the point any further. "As for penises, won't being too large cause problems?"

"I think so? If you're too big, you might have problems entering. But that's pretty rare."

"How large would you have to be?" 

"I don't know! Can you stop asking questions that I can't answer?"

"Then what do you have to teach?"

Great. At least the ball was in his court. But it didn't matter where it landed, he would still lose. "Um… er… Don't date ANBU kunoichi."

"Why?"

"Because they're all crazy and they'll hunt you down and wreak vengeance the moment you break up."

Itachi's dry voice was heavy with condescension. "I believe all the fine young ladies you've dallied with would like to do the same. The ANBU-leveled ones just have the ability to do so."

"Exactly! I mean, no! The more powerful the kunoichi, the crazier they are! Anyone who's been in ANBU for more than a year is guaranteed to be fucked in the head."

Itachi scoffed. "Any more golden nuggets of wisdom?"

"Erm… er… don't date the witch?"

Itachi looked incredulous and almost offended at the suggestion.

"I'm just putting it out there! If you're dumb enough to swear loyalty to her, you just might be dumb enough to date her!"

"Hn."

"I fell into her trap once. Once! You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Hn. So exactly which sort of ladies would you deem suitable for marriage?"

"For you? Someone who's not afraid to scold you when you're being dumb and can take care of you. All Uchiha girls can cook and clean but I don't think you'll find one with the guts to tell you when you're wrong." Every eligible Uchiha girl would know her station and wouldn't dare to speak up against her husband. Particularly since Itachi would be clan head and him returning his bride would be all over the news. The girl would be forever shamed and disowned for her failure.

"Who is the best?"

Shisui would be 18 this year. The council had started prodding him when he was 13. But after a band of his ex-girlfriends caused a riot two years ago, they demanded he start a courtship and get married by the time he was 20. However, he was too valuable and the Uchiha couldn't do anything to him as he had a tight ANBU schedule. After the coup was official, the council reluctantly put the matter on hold

Shisui shrugged. "I won't know. I avoid the whole fiasco when I can."

"I figured you would enjoy the attention."

"Pft. The Uchiha girls are way too prudish and catty. They wouldn't even kiss me!"

"A wise choice."

"Hey!"

"I was told that my wife must be untouched before our wedding. I assume that any doubts might damage a lady's chance at marriage. Why is that so?"

"I think it was to ensure who the child's father was and it just kind of remained."

Itachi frowned. "Then why doesn't this apply to men? If it's to track bloodlines, shouldn't the restrictions on men be even stricter? If a man slept with multiple women and got them pregnant, wouldn't there be a huge risk of kekkei genkai leaking? If a woman slept with multiple men, the bloodline would still remain within the clan. If anything, wouldn't making kunoichi sleep with men of other clans to steal their bloodlines be encouraged?"

"It's a civilian practice from back before hidden villages and their ideals infected us, I guess. There were probably restrictions back then. I don't think they had protection or anything."

"Protection?"

Shisui cleared his throat. "Oh, you know. Condoms and stuff."

"What is a condom?"

"Um… so you know what sperm is right? A condom is like a sleeve that you put over your dick so when you cum, the sperm doesn't go into the girl's vagina."

"'Cum'?"

"Ejaculate."

"So that's how you avoid procreating with your lady friends."

"Well yes. Some ladies take a pill. Some have something implanted inside them to prevent pregnancy. There are a whole bunch of ways to go about it but guys generally stick to the condom. You can use both just in case the condom breaks or the girl forgets to take the pill."

"What are the chances of the woman getting pregnant anyway?"

"I don't know the exact odds but it's really rare if you use multiple protection."

"Is sex really so invaluable that one would risk unwanted parenthood? There are many other recreational activities and bonding experiences with far fewer risks."

Shisui struggled to come up with an answer that would make sense to Itachi. "It's like a need. Once you hit puberty, you start to want it so you do it."

"If it's so important, why are many able to wait until marriage before engaging in it?"

"Some people want it a lot, some don't."

"So all women conveniently lack a need for sex?"

"I didn't mean it in a food sense! It's like a social kind of thing. Like how you get lonely if you don't talk to people. Most people go insane if they don't talk to anyone for a long time. Same thing."

"What happens if someone doesn't have sex for a long time?"

Itachi fired question after question on stuff that Shisui had never thought about before and Shisui watched as Itachi grew more and more frustrated that Shisui couldn't provide him with clear cut clinical answers to everything.

Shisui yawned and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 3 am. "Are you done? We have work tomorrow."

"You still haven't told me why sexual harassment by male ninja is often brushed away with flimsy and nonsensical excuses. How can they be excused when their deeds are made public and clearly violate the law? Seeing as this encourages crime, why is it acceptable?"

"Itachi… just… just look it up."

"Where would I find such information?"

"It's just stuff you pick up along the way."

Itachi sighed. "Is that why most of the information you've provided is unfactual and vague speculation?"

"At least I'm trying! You don't just sit down and learn this stuff!"

Itachi stood up. "I don't think further questioning would lead to valuable information."

Shisui sighed in relief. "Oh great. So are you leaving now?"

Itachi walked to the door, pausing before he opened it. "Shisui."

"Yes?"

"When are you going to settle down?"

"Never."

"You have your duties."

"Why do you ask?"

"... I don't like the way you talk about women."

Itachi left the room, leaving Shisui not privy to his thoughts for the first time in a while.


	34. Fuck Ups I

Working with Michiko was a new experience. After the first week, Katashi had left him to deal with her alone, quickly confirming Ryosei's suspicions that he was merely a token presence. There really wasn't much he had to do. He wrote down whatever she said into a farce of a report, filled out some paperwork and sat in the corner snacking and daydreaming. Michiko didn't care if he spent more time training and helping Katashi's project than he did watching her. Overall, it was almost like doing part-time work and Ryosei was happy he didn't have to move huge piles of concrete across the desert.

Her assistant was a 15-year-old guy who mothered her constantly and obviously had a huge crush on her. They lived together, did everything together and Michiko constantly teased him with sexual innuendos yet they weren't dating for some reason. Ryosei didn't know what he saw in her but it wasn't his business. Akio was a decent sparring partner and they got along on a superficial level. There was another lady, Nohara Chie, who dropped by for Michiko to consult but she worked in the hospital most of the time.

The only real issue he had was Michiko's ridiculous working hours. She got impatient when anything hindered her work at all. She held her stronger opinions back but she had a sharp tongue and a lot of snark. She clearly had issues taking orders and Konoha really needed to focus on discipline more. Akio had given up on reasoning with her and just dragged her away once she worked for more than 20 hours. She didn't seem to understand how important food and sleep was which puzzled Ryosei who took breaks when he could. Luckily, Katashi relieved him after 15 hours or so and they'd bonded over alcohol and their shared woes. A couple of the ANBU joined them sometimes, though they didn't drink and couldn't take their masks off.

Then, the fateful day came. Michiko fell sick.

Akio sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He had been arguing with Michiko in front of the research building for fifteen minutes. "Michiko-chan, you have a 40-degree fever. You need to rest."

Even though Michiko was only half lucid, she still needed to argue. "I'll be fine. It'll fade. I can work through this within the week."

"This is what happens when you don't take care of yourself. If you don't take a break, you'll just get sick again. Which lessens productivity. You need to stay in bed, shower every day and eat regularly for the next week."

"It's not like I'll be fighting. I'll be sitting behind a desk crunching numbers and solving problems. Even if I were in bed, I would still be thinking about work since I have nothing to do. It would be even more stressful. There's no point in me being in bed."

"Then take sleeping pills and knock yourself out until you're better again."

"And who's going to be bathing me and feeding me for the next week?"

A slight dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks. "You can wake up once a day and bathe yourself."

Michiko smirked mischievously as she leant forward, her face flushed and her eyes cloudy from her illness. "There's no need to be ashamed. I'm sure you'll do a _thorough_ job. I can even return the favour when I get better."

"I-I-you- you're not distracting me this time! You have to get rest and- Wait… So you'll stay home and get better if I take care of you?"

Michiko paused for a moment, seemingly unaware of what she'd just implied. Wow. She really must be out of it. "I suppose." Then she glanced at Ryosei and the research building. "But…"

Ryosei interrupted. "I'm sure we would all appreciate a break. We are not on a tight schedule and I'm sure we'll get more done when you're feeling better."

Michiko still didn't look convinced. Akio grabbed her and tried to carry her. She put up a brief struggle before being interrupted by a coughing fit. She gave an annoyed glare towards Akio who was completely unaffected by her useless squirming.

"Come on, Michiko-chan. We're going home, you're taking a bath and then you're going to bed."

Michiko looked royally pissed off and grumpy but she acquiesced, seeing as Akio had resorted to physical force. "Fine. But you're going to have to bathe me and… take care of me."

* * *

Akio carried Michiko through the doorway and made sure to lock the door before setting Michiko down. It took Michiko slightly longer to find her balance and she was burning up. Luckily, they had only left the apartment for 20 minutes so it was still somewhat cool. Akio had convinced Michiko to sleep in a bit so Itachi had left before them.

Akio led her into the washroom. "I'll wait outside. Don't you dare escape."

"Didn't you say you were going to bathe me?"

"I can't possibly do that!"

"Why not?"

"Why are you so insistent on it?"

Michiko shrugged. "I like going around nude. If you get used to it, I wouldn't even have to wear dresses."

"Really? That's all?"

"Well, I also like fighting nude. There's no point in wearing clothes anyway since anything strong enough to protect me will slow me down. All my weapon storage and protection seals are on my skin. My taijutsu style instantly destroys any clothes anyway so there's no point in investing in a good wardrobe. I might as well just go nude and save all the trouble. It won't do for you to get flustered in the middle of a battle because my clothes got destroyed."

Akio couldn't think of a proper rebuttal. Michiko didn't have a shred of shame or decency in her bones and the moment she had an argument relating to efficiency and functionality that he couldn't counter, she won.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I have to bathe you! Looking at you and touching you like that is two very different things!"

Michiko sighed and tossed her jacket on the floor and moved to remove her shirt. Akio immediately grabbed her wrists to stop her.

"Michiko-chan, I know you're very… open about this sort of thing but I really don't want to. We're not dating."

"Akio, have you considered finding another girl?"

"What?"

"I don't think being in a romantic relationship with you would be good. Don't you want to fall in love with a nice, mentally stable girl and marry someday?"

Akio had thought about marriage. He'd thought of marrying Michiko when he'd just started liking her. He'd thought of her waiting at home for him with an amazing home-cooked meal. He'd thought of her carrying his child. But as he knew more and more of her, those dreams faded away and started to turn… a little more inappropriate. Looking back at his stupid dreams, he wanted to strangle his younger self for being so dumb.

"I don't want marriage. I just want to be with you."

"Really? So you're fine if you never have sex? You'd be fine with me going out to pick up a guy for the night?"

The thought of Michiko with other guys instantly filled Akio with a sense of vile disgust and jealousy. He'd dismissed the possibility of her finding a boyfriend but given how casual Michiko was with sex, she might be one of those girls. Akio hated the idea because there was nothing he could do to stop her. Michiko wouldn't change for anyone.

"I… I can handle it."

"It will hurt you."

"You consider my feelings. You don't do that to some random stranger."

Michiko looked surprised but it was quickly covered up. "The only benefit you gain from me is purely emotional. Losing that bond would mean losing you."

"... Michiko-chan, do you love me?"

Michiko gave a hopeless and morose smile, one that she rarely wore. Instantly, Akio knew this was one of her down days. "I love you as much as I can ever love someone."

"Why don't you want us to be together?"

"I'm comfortable the way we are. I've already invested too much energy into my personal relationships. Our relationship is fine the way it is and I don't think hooking up would improve it."

"Then what are we? Best friends? Roommates?"

Michiko shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Our relationship is what it is. There's no need to label it but if you insist on it… then I guess you're my life manager."

"Life manager? What does that mean?"

"Well, I'm not exactly the best at taking care of myself. I don't care about my health or my body. Dying young comes with the job description and I have better things to do. The fact is: you could leave now and you'd be completely fine. I would be a total mess. Yes, I know you're not going to leave but that's just how it would go. I can't love the way you can. I can't stop weighing the benefits and costs of every aspect of my life. I don't go into ninja mode like you or Itachi because ninja mode is my default mode. Even though I can conceptualise your discomfort, I don't understand it. Nudity doesn't have to be sexual. Why are you so adverse to it?"

"It's just weird seeing you like that. I… I love you. Romantically. So seeing you like that would make me… you know." Akio could feel the blush creeping up his neck into his cheeks. "I just can't help it. I don't want to get the wrong idea."

"Akio, I know you jack off to porn featuring girls that look like me. I know you have dirty fantasies about me and I know you sometimes cream your sheets in the morning. I am fine with that and I don't care if you get an erection while bathing me and then masturbate afterwards to the thought of me blowing you in the shower. We've spent nearly every hour of every single day together since you've moved in and I don't plan for that to change. We will run into many situations where my clothes are destroyed and you will get used to it one way or the other. We won't be on the field for the rest of the year and we'll be fairly cushy. If there's a time to get comfortable, it's now."

Akio's brain short-circuited and he couldn't think of anything to say to that. Michiko twisted her wrists and Akio let them go. She slowly pulled up her shirt and tossed it to the floor. Akio felt the heat rising as he looked down at her cleavage, his blush somehow intensifying even further. Michiko unravelled her chest bindings. Akio stared at her naked chest, wondering if he was still sleeping and this was just a weird wet dream. How the fuck had they gotten to this situation again?

"Do you want to touch?"

"... Eh?"

"You've never touched a girl's breasts before, have you? Aren't you curious?"

Akio had been too stunned to think about it but now that Michiko mentioned it… Michiko stood there patiently as Akio slowly reached out and placed his hand on her breast. He gave it a light squeeze. Michiko didn't seem to mind and just smiled at him as he started groping a little harder.

"So? What do you think?"

"What's your size? And why don't you wear a bra?" Akio blurted out. Horror and shame washed over him and he immediately retracted his hand but Michiko just laughed it off.

"Last I measured, I was a B but I'm outgrowing my bras. I do wear bras sometimes but I like chest binding better. I hate it when my breasts get in the way."

"Isn't that kind of bad?"

"Oh? How do you know?"

"Ninja parenting books. I was going to raise Ayano so I needed to learn some girl things."

"It's not good to bind for too long but I just heal myself afterwards."

"Michiko-chan…"

"I know, I know. But I don't plan on getting pregnant and I'm not naturally pretty. If I'm going to seduce anyone, it'll be with a mask of makeup and I'll be able to cover everything up. Are you going to bathe me?"

"I… I… I'll wash your back. And your hair. And your face. And your arms. But you can wash the rest yourself."

"I guess that's fine as a first step." She turned and walked to the bathroom. Akio gulped as the realisation of what he'd just agreed to started to sink in.

Michiko turned around and gave him a smirk. "Come on in."

* * *

Itachi knew he was being tailed. But since his two stalkers were the Kazekage's children and they were, in turn, being tailed by ANBU, Itachi hadn't bothered. However, he was quickly growing tired of it. It didn't matter that they were weak, being constantly aware of their presence put Itachi on edge. It had been going on for a full week and since this behaviour showed no signs of abating, Itachi decided to confront them.

The two kids jumped back in shock as Itachi appeared in front of them. "Why have you been tailing me?"

The sister, Temari, recovered quickly and stood straight while her younger brother clearly displayed uncertainty. "What have you been doing with my little brother?" She demanded.

"Why do you ask?"

The younger brother looked at him with suspicion. "Gaara's been acting weird and you and your team are behind it."

Itachi obviously couldn't tell them what was going on if the Kazekage hadn't deigned to tell them. "Why do you care?"

The younger brother shrank back as his sister stepped forward with an irate look on her face. "I am the eldest! It is my job to take care of my dumb little brothers!"

Itachi glanced down at her passively, letting a tinge of condescension slip into his tone. "I see you've done a passable job, all things considered."

The little girl glared. "You don't know anything. What did you do to him?"

Itachi hadn't spent much time with Gaara so the girl was probably questioning him because she couldn't get a hold of Michiko. The girl wasn't going to get any information out of him. She would give up in due time. "Ask him yourself."

Itachi left, making a small note to tell Michiko of this minor annoyance.

* * *

Itachi arrived back at Michiko's apartment after a long day of work and was surprised to see her lying in bed sleeping with Akio sponging her forehead. He knew Michiko had been sick in the morning and the fact that she couldn't heal it away probably meant that overworking and malnutrition had taxed her system to the point where iryoninjutsu would just be added stress. This also meant that it was long coming and Michiko had been staving it off for as long as possible with iryoninjutsu. Despite the only recourse of recovery being rest, he hadn't thought that Akio could actually succeed in getting her to stop working.

"How is she?"

"Just stress and exhaustion. She'll be fine after a week in bed."

"Easier said than done."

Akio shrugged. "She's already agreed to it. We're having porridge for the next week. It's in the rice cooker."

Itachi headed to the kitchen to scoop porridge for himself, inwardly impressed at Akio's feat. It was something he doubted anyone else could accomplish without heavy leverage on Michiko.

After finishing the bland chicken porridge and drinking some tea, he dumped the dishes in the sink when Akio came out of the bedroom at the same time.

"Can't you wash your own dishes?"

Itachi blinked as he looked down at his bowl. It had never occurred to him that he should've. In hindsight, he had been fairly foolish for not considering it. "Hn."

Itachi took the dish sponge, squirted some soap on it and started washing his dishes. Akio watched him as he finished up.

"Wash the teapot too."

Itachi decided to oblige and started to do so when Akio sighed. "Use the thin brush for the spout. It's above you."

Itachi looked up to see a long, thin brush hanging from a hook on the cabinet. He could feel Akio's judging eyes at the back of his head as he cleaned the teapot and wiped his hands off.

"God, Itachi. Have you ever washed dishes in your life?"

"No."

"What?"

"I've never washed dishes before." His mother always handled everything and when they were on the field, Michiko provided the meals. Akio was the one who took care of the house now.

Akio stared at him incredulously. "Have you cleaned before? Cooked at all? Do you do anything around the house?"

"I babysit my brother on occasion. I know how to do weapon maintenance but my Mother usually handles it."

"But you had to stay on your own for a few days before coming here, right?"

"I was in a dormitory. I merely had to take care of my bed. I ate out." It had also been the first time he had folded his own bedsheets.

"What about when you move out?"

"The main house doesn't move out. My little brother will have to when either of us marry but he will have a wife or a maid to take care of him."

"What about your parents?"

"The main house stays under the same roof."

Akio wrinkled his nose. "I'd rather do my own chores than live with my parents for the rest of my life. Stupid traditions."

Itachi held down his defensive reaction. In truth, he would like to experience living independently but not at the expense of losing training time by doing mundane chores.

"Having the whole family together fosters positive family relations and allows bonding between generations." He would've liked to know more about his grandparents but they'd both died young.

Akio snorted. "Bullshit. Not in an Uchiha household. No Uchiha man would back down and generations are too different. They'd just infight and the girls will get caught in the middle."

"The clan head's word is final." Having a central authority to which all disputes could be settled with was useful. It was a pity that Fugaku wasn't the most impartial.

"If your head's stuck up your arse so far that you couldn't taste the stink of that bullshit then it's no wonder you're standing here wondering where you fucked up."

Itachi hated it when people threw foul insults without considering the situation. Itachi would be seeing him every day and Akio was the one who made the food. It wouldn't do to worsen relations. "I am well aware of my clan's flaws."

"Oh really? Well then that just makes it worse! You know you're getting spoonfed crap yet you kneel down, blindfold yourself and wait with your mouth wide open for more. I don't get you. How can you be loyal to those backstabbing, self-centered and power hungry little cunts?!"

"In spite of everything, we are family. I was born into the highest of nobility. The main house leads and protects, the branch house serves and submits. As per my birthright, it is my duty to care for all those who share my blood."

"So in exchange for a big house, a trophy wife and some fancy eyes, you're willing to bow to those war-crazed hyenas? I knew you were a hypocrite but this just takes the cake!"

Itachi couldn't listen to this any further. "My life and place in this world were determined before I was born. A free man like you would never understand."

Akio snorted derisively. "Free? Aren't you supposed to be the mature genius here? None of us are completely 'free' if that's what you're talking about. Everyone of us is hindered in some way by our birth. I was part of your shitty clan once, remember? Michiko-chan's got plenty of people weighing her down but unlike you, she's fighting. She fought for me and that's why I'm here today. I don't care for your reactionary pacifist bullshit. You can sit there and whine all day about your fate and how unlucky you are but I'm not having it."

Akio was the one who aired his opinions first but Itachi wasn't about to fan the flames even more. "The feeling is mutual."

Itachi headed straight to the bathroom to avoid further argument. He wondered whether he should check his food from now on but decided against it. Akio hadn't been that petty before and blatantly displaying his distrust in front of Michiko would be in bad taste. He was fairly sure Michiko would object to Akio doing so and Akio would know that. In Itachi's opinion, Akio wasn't any less of a slave than Itachi was. Akio could never be able to leave Michiko's side even if he wanted to. Michiko just gave Akio enough autonomy and power to make him feel in control.

After finishing his bath, Itachi realised that he had not brought clothes in with him. Deciding that it didn't matter, he towelled himself dry, blew dried his hair and walked to the bedroom to retrieve some clothes. Akio was still beside Michiko changing her towels. Itachi put on his shirt and shorts and headed to Michiko's bed but Akio stopped him.

"Sleep on the couch tonight. I don't want to take care of two sick people."

Itachi hesitated. It was true that Itachi had a frail immune system. Michiko wouldn't be able to heal him since using her ill chakra on his chakra system could make it worse. The hospital was overrun with patients who had missing limbs and deep burns so no one would entertain someone with a fever that would fade by itself. Still, Michiko had ordered him to sleep with her every night. He could work through a fever if needs be.

"I have my orders."

Akio rolled his eyes. "God, the two of you are stupid. I'll never get you ninja. If you get sick, it's your problem."

"Duly noted."

Itachi slipped under the covers of Michiko's bed to find that she was completely naked. He snuggled a little closer, well aware of Akio's piercing gaze. Calming his chakra and breathing, Itachi drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Akio and Itachi were woken up by Michiko's coughing fit. She sniffled, grumbled sleepily and turned over to hugging Itachi tightly. They both fell back to sleep. Akio changed Michiko's towels before returning to his bed. Sometime later, Itachi woke the three of them up with his own coughing fit. Akio gave an accusatory grunt but they all fell back asleep.

At 6 am, Itachi had to start preparing for work and it was clear he had a fever. Akio was just starting to wake up and Michiko was still out of it. Unable to break free from her grasp, Itachi asked for his help. With only a glare and an 'I told you so', Akio slowly loosened Michiko's hold. He began making rice, steamed eggs, salmon and miso soup for breakfast while Itachi showered, meditated and sharpened his weapons. Akio then made riceballs for lunch, wrapping the panda patterned ones and placing them in the fridge while packing the plain ones into a bento for Itachi.

When he was done, he kept Michiko's portion and the two of them ate in silence. Itachi left soon after without cleaning his dishes. Put in a slightly foul mood at spending more than ten minutes in Itachi's presence, Akio cleaned the kitchen and did the laundry. Seeing as Michiko was still asleep, he went out to buy groceries and medicine.

He was instantly hit with a wave of heat as he stepped out and he hurried to the market place as fast as possible. Purchasing his food and medicine, he headed back quickly when he became aware of Gaara tailing him. Akio took refuge in the shade in a narrow alleyway and waited for Gaara to show up.

Gaara landed in front of him. "Hello, Akio-san. Where's kaa-chan?"

"She's sick."

Gaara looked alarmed. "She's sick? She's hurt? How? Who?"

Feeling Gaara's chakra level rise, Akio immediately tried to soothe his worries."She overworked herself. She'll be fine soon enough."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I have medicine at home."

Akio held up his plastic bag. "So do I."

"Oh." Gaara frowned and pouted. "Can I go see her?"

"Did the Kazekage allow you to?"

"... No."

"Then you can't."

Gaara pouted some more. "But I want to go."

"Well, you can't. You'll get sick too."

"I won't get sick. I never get sick! I can help!"

Akio sighed. "That's not the problem. Just go home. You can play with your uncle and sister."

"Fine." Gaara grumbled before leaving. Akio waited for a while before leaving.

By the time he returned, Michiko was already up and finishing breakfast. She was still a little grumpy and groggy from sleep. Akio packed the groceries away and placed the pills he bought on the table in front of Michiko. Michiko ate the last of her breakfast before swallowing the pills. Akio took out the thermometer to check her temperature. It had gotten even higher.

"Have you bathed yet?"

Michiko shook her head.

"You want to wash up on your own?"

Michiko stared at him expectantly.

Akio shifted uneasily, remembering yesterday's bath. He had popped a boner almost immediately. Michiko didn't comment on it but it was still embarrassing. "We can do it like yesterday?"

Michiko nodded, got up and headed to the bathroom with Akio following behind. Michiko started stripping and Akio looked away. He busied himself with removing his weapon pouches and other equipment, not wanting them to get wet.

Michiko dumped her clothes in the laundry basket and moved to shower. "You sure you don't want to strip to? You'll get wet."

Akio's eyes darted around a little before fixating on Michiko's face. "But- I'm- I can't-"

"I've seen an erect penis before, Akio. It's nothing special. No need to be so shy. I'll help you wash up if you want."

Akio felt his bits twitch as an image of Michiko using her hands to… do inappropriate things to his junk flashed through his mind. "Em… I- no- you can't- you- you- wait, what? What?! You've done- but how? Who? How?! You're 13! Did you- were you-..."

Michiko sighed. "Don't go jumping to conclusions. I've had my fair share of sexual encounters, both good and bad. I'm kind of tired of it and I hate being a teen. I know this is new and all to you but this is all just-" Michiko cut herself off with another sigh. "I just want to get this over with. Maybe you could pick up a girl?"

Akio instinctively balked at the idea. "I can't do that! That'd be cheating on you!" Akio blinked and reeled back from what he'd just said. "I mean, I know we're not… dating or anything but it just- it just feels wrong."

"Even if we were dating, it's not cheating if I've said it's fine. I'm sure you can find a girl who's willing to help you out. You're a fairly good looking guy when you don't scowl. Which is almost all the time but at least you can learn how to smile more if you're not successful."

"But… I don't want to have sex with some random girl. I've never really wanted to do it… before you. I mean, I found some girls pretty but I hated girls and they were all dumb and stupid. I know it sounds really girly but I don't want it to be a silly fling. It's just- I don't want it."

Michiko scanned him, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed as she often did when facing a puzzle. "I suppose sex just isn't special to me. Are you the wait-until-marriage type?"

"I-I think so? Maybe not marriage but I want to be dating them for a while. I don't want to rush it and get a disease or something. Or get the girl pregnant. Okay so maybe I'd wait until marriage. Just in case. I don't know. I guess it depends. If the girl wants to wait then that's great. I think."

Michiko paused for a moment before replying. "That's cute and all but be aware that tying love and sex together disadvantages you. It's not that important for you but a girl can get to places if she flashes her tits and spreads her legs at the right time for the right people. It's a useful skill to have."

"But you're not that type of girl, right?"

Michiko shrugged. "So are you going to bathe me or what?"

Akio had a brief moment of pride as he realised he'd spent two minutes before a naked Michiko without an erection but the usual wave of embarrassment crashed down a second later. He opened his mouth to try and string words together before thinking better of it and mutely reaching for the shower head.

He turned the shower on and wetted Michiko's hair before massaging shampoo and conditioner into her scalp. As he began washing her shoulders and back, he felt his heat rising and he had to make a conscious effort to slow his breathing. He made sure to clean her as thoroughly as he could while avoiding her private parts, cleaning her feet and stomach but not going anywhere below the hip or above the knee. By the time he was done, he was extremely… uncomfortable.

"I'll- I'll leave now so you can do the rest."

Akio stepped back but Michiko grabbed his arm. She looked up at him, stepped forwards and hugged him.

"Listen, Akio. I-" From her expression, Akio knew she was trying to tell him something serious but his poor, poor adolescent mind was already in overdrive and Michiko's wet, naked body pressed up against him tipped him over the edge.

Akio fainted.


	35. Fuck Ups II

Akio woke up 15 minutes later lying on his bed with Michiko sitting next to him. The feeling of disorientation faded quickly into shame as the realisation of what had happened hit him. Akio looked up at Michiko's face. She was, thankfully, wearing one of her loose dresses but she seemed a lot more grumpy and put out.

Akio looked away. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I pushed you too hard." Michiko paused for a moment. "I'm sorry."

Akio's eyes snapped back to her, aghast. Michiko never apologised for anything she did. "What?"

Michiko reached down and stroked his hair. For a moment, Akio thought she might be an imposter. He'd always been jealous of the copious amount of affection she rained down on Itachi and Gaara but had never gathered the courage to ask her about it. God, he really was pathetic.

"Akio, I don't have that much time in this world."

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with you? Are you- are you really sick?"

"You know the stories of ninja who've met the shinigami and came back changed? I… had an experience like that. Many experiences like that. My chakra is different from anything out there. That's how I'm able to casually use Nara suicide jutsu everyday. But my chakra is so drastic that my body doesn't recognise it as its own. That's why I'm so weak. I don't have natural chakra enhancements. If not for the amount of knowledge and experience I have backing me, I would never make it as a ninja."

"But why does that mean you'll die?"

"My immune system is trash. Any clan child would be able to shake something like this off. On the bad days, my body sometimes rejects my own chakra and tries to shut it off. One day, it will succeed and if my chakra gets shut off for a couple of minutes, I die."

"But is there any cure? I don't see you taking medicine and you fight just fine!"

"My chakra itself is the 'disease'. The body and the mind are meant to work as one to produce chakra. There is always some sort of balance between them or you won't be alive. I've had a few specialists poke at me but they seem to think that my yin-yang imbalance comes from my mind outstripping my body. It's not an uncommon condition amongst young ninja, though it's rare for it to be as bad as mine. They think it'll be resolved with training and time. It has only gotten worse. If they reexamined me now, they might suspect that I stole this body. I can't afford that."

"But why would they-" Akio felt a jolt of shock pulse in his brain. The feeling of cold realisation travelled down through his body. It would make too much sense. It would explain everything Michiko was, everything she did and everything she'd said. But almost as soon as the realisation happened, he was struck by the ludicrousness of it. Body switching? It couldn't be, right?

Michiko looked down at him with utter seriousness. "As you may imagine, their suspicions would raise issues. I don't want a Yamanaka in my head. You must never tell this to anyone on the pain of death. I have enough plans to be executed for treason."

"I- of course. But you're not really like that. Right?"

"Not really. I'll tell you someday. When I've got an airtight mind seal and if you're willing to take a suicide seal. But you see why you'd have to find someone else. I cannot be by your side forever. I will die well before you. You'll have Ayano but she's going to settle down as well. You have to have someone else, Akio. Other than Ayano and me, you have no one to rely on when I'm gone."

"How much time do we have?"

"I'd usually say 35-40 but with this body? It'd be a miracle if I make it to 30."

Akio suddenly recalled all the times she referred to her body as 'this body' and the unease at the back of his throat thickened. "Is there really no way?"

"None that wouldn't take too much time. I have 30 years to get the five great nations to submit to a higher authority and I've used 13 up. I don't have much time."

"Is that why you don't take care of yourself?"

Michiko shrugged. "There isn't much point. I'll be dead before the repercussions hit me. I got sick mainly because of my chakra situation, not the stress. It doesn't matter how careful I am, I'm going to continue being sick. In five years, I'll start to feel sick all the time and working through it is just the normal thing to do."

Sick all the time? Yesterday, Michiko couldn't even think straight! "Then there's all the more reason for me to stay! If I find another girl, I wouldn't have enough time to make sure you don't invite random guys to touch your boobs!"

"It was a rational decision. You aren't a 'random guy'. I was never in any danger."

"Still, I think you should act a bit more like a girl." Half a second later, Akio's brain caught up with his mouth and he instantly rewound. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant- you know…"

"That I should have some sense of shame and modesty?"

"Yes! That!"

Michiko sighed. "Those traits are worthless to me. Akio, I am the way I am because it is what this world demands of me and even then, it is not enough. I am weak and ignorant to too many things, never more so than now. It's not as if I looked into the mirror one day and decided this is who I want to be. I need to be like this or I will die. Do you understand?"

"... No. Yes but no, not really."

"Good. You shouldn't be able to."

The two of them stayed like that for a while with Michiko stroking Akio's hair as he struggled to come up with something to say. He'd always admired Michiko's will but nowadays, it was nothing short of frustrating. Unless he could give a good logical argument, she would not bend and everything she did was based on those broken values. And Akio couldn't argue with those broken values because more than anything, he realised that they were there to protect her. That her deep-seated beliefs were rooted in experience. Akio knew she had seen much more of the world than he had and she had to have been hurt many, many times to shape her into the person she was today. She was utterly convinced that the world was a cold and cruel place and that everything she did wasn't paranoia but necessity. She couldn't change unless… unless…

She wouldn't change unless the world changed.

The epiphany struck Akio with a resonance that sent him into cold shock, incredulity and hysteria as a burst of laughter choked him. Michiko looked down at him questioningly.

Akio coughed. "'I can't change so I'll change the world?'"

Michiko smiled. "I am not insane. This world is."

They laid there with Michiko sliding down into the sheets and joining him as he digested the news. Akio was proud to say that his dick mostly kept quiet despite being pressed up against Michiko who clearly wasn't wearing any underwear. The knowledge that Michiko was terminally ill probably had something to do with it.

The doorbell rang a few hours later. There was the unmistakable chakra of the jinchuuriki escorted by ANBU. Akio reluctantly got out of the bed and shuffled to the door to open it.

"What's the deal this time?"

ANBU Crocodile, who was part of Gaara's protection detail, replied in his usual bland voice. "The jinchuuriki has been emitting volatile chakra spasms, causing heavy distress to the ninja population. We believe his concern for Nara Michiko is the root of this. The Kazekage would like the both of them to stay together under surveillance."

Michiko walked up to the door. Gaara's face lit up and he tried to run over to her but the ANBU placed a light hand on his shoulder. Gaara pouted and pushed forward, the ANBU's hand sliding off the sand barrier Gaara had on his shoulder.

Gaara pounced onto Michiko. "Kaa-chan!"

Michiko wrapped her arms around Gaara and they shared a brief hug. "Gaara."

"Are you okay? I'm sure Shukaku will heal you up!" Gaara's face twisted into an obstinate frown. "Why not?" Gaara's face darkened. "Don't say that about kaa-chan!" Gaara glared. "Kaa-chan does not smell like a corpse!"

Michiko interrupted Gaara's conversation with the bijuu. "It's okay. I'll be alright within the week."

"Really? But Shukaku could make it go faster!"

"If Shukaku doesn't want to then there's no point in forcing him. His chakra may be good for you but not on other people."

"Why?"

"Because you're used to it. His chakra is actually pretty dangerous to other people."

"Oh."

The ANBU interjected. "The Kazekage would like you to stay by the jinchuuriki under surveillance. We ask for your cooperation."

"'Under surveillance'? What do you have in mind?"

"A unit will be within your quarters." Akio snorted. And let the ANBU within her quarters to sabotage things? That was stupid.

Michiko smiled. "I'm willing to go over to Kazekage Residence. Does the Kazekage really not mind me taking a day off?"

"Kazekage-sama is pleased with your progress and has been made aware of your previous working hours. He has deemed that your overtime compensates your sick leave. That being said, he asks that you keep such incidents to a minimum."

"Duly noted. I shall be in tomorrow."

Akio frowned at the news. "But you promised."

"Akio, I don't have time to sit around. Being sick is no big deal."

Akio couldn't think of anything to say to that. Michiko couldn't think properly yesterday and the prospect of a perpetually half delusional Michiko was terrifying. This was just a small taste. If Michiko would have to regularly work through insane fevers then Akio would just have to step up his game if he couldn't change Michiko's.

"Fine but I'll feed you and… bathe you."

Michiko smiled. "Perfect. Now let's get going."

* * *

Temari returned home from the academy with Kankurou and a maid informed them that they had the visitor she'd been seeking for the last month. Kankurou opened his mouth to comment but Temari hushed him. This was a prime opportunity to observe what the Konoha kunoichi was doing firsthand and Kankurou was not ruining it.

The kunoichi was in their private indoor training ground with Gaara. She sat beside him, observing his practice. ANBU guards were stationed around the area and Temari was sure that there were more hidden away. There were three masks Temari was unfamiliar with so they probably weren't part of the Kazekage's family's protection detail. Were Gaara's temper tantrums so bad that they warranted an extra squad?

Nara Michiko noticed them immediately and she looked towards them with a pleasant smile on her face. "You must be Gaara's siblings. I am Nara Michiko."

Temari knew she knew who they were but pleasantries must be upheld. "That's right. I am Temari and this is my younger brother, Kankurou. It's nice to meet you. I didn't know you were friends with Gaara."

Michiko gave a snort at the blatant lie. "We met on the streets. He's a cuddly bundle of sunshine with all the fluffy ferocity of a panda packed into a cute, chubby little package. We hit off pretty easily."

"'Cuddly bundle of sunshine'?" Kankurou blurted out. "Do you know-"

"So are you part of the relief team?" Temari cut Kankurou off, sending him a warning glare. Kankurou shrank back.

Michiko politely pretended she didn't notice it. "Yes."

"So what do you do?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"I see. What's your specialty?" Nara Michiko wasn't listed in the bingo book and no one with real information seemed to want to talk about her. It was unlikely that Michiko would give anything away but no venture, no gain. Since she was the Kazekage's daughter, Michiko was forced to make small talk with her.

"Fuuinjutsu."

Temari had expected Michiko to dance around by saying water jutsu or her clan jutsu but it seemed like Michiko wasn't interested in wasting time either. "That's a rare discipline. Suna doesn't have much use for it."

Michiko laughed. "I disagree but perhaps I'm too used to being under well-constructed barriers." Michiko turned towards Gaara, pretending she hadn't slighted Suna's defenses. "You little brother is talented. So are you, from what I can gather."

"No weaklings make it through Suna's program."

Michiko looked delighted rather than offended. "You're such a sweet person to talk to. I really should spend more time around you."

Temari couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not but she knew intuitively that it didn't mean anything good. "I'm quite busy training and I'm sure you're busy with missions. Maybe when we both have time."

"Well then that's perfect. You can train with Gaara. He's quite strong."

Temari glanced over at Gaara with ill-concealed unease. It was clear that he was aware of their presence as his sand attacks had decreased in power. He had retreated further into the training ground as if to avoid them. "Gaara is young. He's not very good at control. It wouldn't do for either of us to get hurt."

Michiko's delighted smile warped slightly as an edge of hysteria creeped it. "Well that's what you're here for, isn't it? Sparing is a great way to learn from each other. How much danger can you be in with two squads of ANBU around all the time?"

Michiko got up and walked towards Gaara. Seeing her approach, Gaara paused in his training.

"Gaara, let's spar."

Surprisingly, Gaara didn't hesitate in nodding. A glance around the room showed that none of the ANBU were moving to stop her, meaning that the bijuu was in no danger of bursting out. This did nothing to sooth Kankurou who was getting more twitchy by the second.

"I'm-I'm just going to go take a shower." Kankurou said before he quickly retreated. Temari considered it for a second and decided to stay. Michiko obviously had a hand in Gaara's recent stabilisation. It was probably best to observe how Gaara was while there were at least three squads of ANBU in the room.

Gaara's increase in control was immediately apparent from the first attack. Instead of a huge loose wave, he sent out a sharp spear and used the speed to increase his power. Michiko prodded at Gaara's defenses and they held fast. Being able to concentrate on offensive and defensive at the same time was a great boon but after a while, it was clear that Gaara's limit was three spears. Any more and his sand barrier returned to automatic mode or his spears decreased in power. Strangely, Gaara's auto defensive sand barrier seemed to react faster and stronger. With that proof, there was no longer any doubt that they were fiddling with Gaara's seal. Chances were that Nara Michiko was involved.

Temari watched for 15 minutes and concluded that if not for Gaara's auto defenses and crazy stamina, she would be a match for him.

Michiko ended their spar and patted Gaara on the head, making some comments on his techniques. The look Gaara gave her was similar to the look he gave Yashamaru: adoring and completely trusting. Her father was playing a dangerous move by relying on Konoha. Even if they didn't have much of a choice with the village in shambles. Konoha was doing everything it could to suck all benefits from Suna, knowing that Suna had to rely on them to survive. They'd already had to give up huge amounts of gold, land and jutsu for Konoha's aid.

Gaara returned to training while Michiko walked back to Temari. She didn't look the least bit exhausted, meaning she must be at least top C-class. Temari had heard of her exploits during the exams so it was likely she was on her way to jounin level. All of Konoha's elite ninja got away with being criminally insane so the top brass probably saw potential in her becoming one of them.

The idea of having one of Konoha's loons around Gaara didn't sit well with Temari at all. Konoha's defection rates were low but when they did, their ninja always liked to make a gruesome statement. Michiko seemed like she could be one of those rare cases.

But Temari didn't have any power to change the situation. Besides, Michiko was already 13 and had only been involved in one massacre which was completely legal and served Konoha's agenda. Michiko didn't seem particularly sadistic and Nara were famed for their logic. Temari didn't have any friends in Konoha and it would be incredibly useful to make nice while Michiko was still rising through the ranks. If nothing else, Michiko had influence over the Nara clan which held major sway over village matters ever since the Shodaime Hokage's reign.

"What do you think?" Michiko asked.

"You're pretty good."

Michiko smiled. "I aim for excellence in most matters."

"Go big or go home?"

"No. Go big or die in a ditch."

"Sounds like something Suna could use."

Michiko laughed. "But of course. That's why I'm here after all. Suna really should have more people like you. It'd be an interesting flavour."

"Suna's not to your liking?"

"I'm used to having a blinding array of colours surrounding me."

"Is Konoha really the capital of diversity? I've never visited."

Michiko snorted. "Oh, you'll meet many big personalities alright. I'm sure we have every hair colour available, though Kiri definitely takes the cake in terms of skin colour. Every village has its own coat of paint."

"It's politics no matter where you go."

"Of course. Just by being a Konoha ninja, you have village politics, clan politics and team politics."

"We got rid of one of that. I'd say we're better off without that time wasted."

Michiko smiled. "No, you didn't. You merely pushed clan politics to the background and made village politics everything. You're in running for Kazekage, aren't you?"

Temari shrugged. "I suppose. You can't escape family."

"Such is life's lottery. What prize do you think you've won?"

"It's a little too early to tell."

The door opened. Temari turned to see Michiko's assistant in an apron.

"Lunch is ready." He announced. "I made enough for everyone."

Gaara paused in his training and the ANBU stationed in the training ground moved towards the door. Michiko looked to Temari. "Shall we eat?"

Temari nodded and all of them walked to the dining hall. The long table was already set with a bowl of spicy miso ramen on each placemat and two dozen bowls were placed on a tray at the end of the table together with a cup full of chopsticks. There were enough bowls for the ANBU in the room as well as the ones in the shadows and probably even the maids standing in the corner.

Michiko, Akio, Gaara, Temari and all three of the unfamiliar ANBU took a seat. In the time it took for them to say 'ittadakimasu' and pick up their chopsticks, half the bowls on the tray vanished along with chopsticks.

Temari blew her noodles before slurping it up. She immediately coughed it out in surprise. It wasn't a seafood spicy miso ramen like she'd thought it was. She'd never tasted something like this before but god was it spicy!

"What is this?" Temari exclaimed, trying not to sound too rude.

"Laksa." Michiko replied. "Is it not to your liking?"

"It's way too spicy."

Michiko blinked. "This laksa doesn't have much chili in it but I suppose it's hard to find someone who can enjoy spice as I do."

"You like spicy foods?"

"I like a little spice every now and then." Michiko said as she dump a whole saucerful of sliced chilis into her laksa.

Temari fanned her mouth but the heat didn't stop. "I've never since any dump the whole bowl of chili into their noodles. I'm pretty sure that's not just a little spice."

"It might seem like a lot but there are really few hot spices here and the ones that I can find just don't have enough kick. This is really weak chili."

Akio interjected. "It's the strongest one in the Suna market, Michiko-chan. Your tolerance is through the roof."

"I'm not particularly great at tolerating spice. Everyone else in this world is just bad."

Temari stared at Michiko. "Then doesn't that make you good?"

Michiko shrugged. "I don't use world-class standards. I use my own."

Temari stood up. "To each his own. I'll ask for water."

"Water will make it worse." Michiko advised. "Get milk."

"Okay."

Temari glanced back at one of the maids and she walked swiftly to the kitchen, returning with a large glass of milk. Temari downed it. As she waited for the burn to subside, she wondered if she should finish the noodles. She didn't want to get the person who was messing with her brother's seal mad. Plus, she was a kunoichi. All the ANBU had no reactions. She could tough it out.

By the time Temari recovered from her first bite, the number of bowls left on the tray had halved and Michiko started chatting with the ANBU about cooking.

"-but it's really hard to get shrimp out here." ANBU Crab said.

"You can use shrimp paste. I'm sure Autumn Artisan has a restaurant here that serves laksa. You can track down how they get their ingredients."

"Did you sell the recipe to them?" asked ANBU… Beaver? Pig? Rat?

"I've cooked with the Akimichi and the head of Autumn Artisan is one."

"You have more up for sleeve. You could make a killing." Temari couldn't figure out what this one's mask was. Was it a stingray?

Michiko smiled. "I will when I need to money." She turned to Temari. "There's no need to force yourself. Alaskan Snow Crab-san, Naked Mole Rat-san and Planarian-san like the laksa very much. I'm sure your chef can cook something you like better."

"... What's a Planarian?"

"A type of flatworm."

"..."

Michiko shrugged. "They had to run out of animal names sometime. Which means they have to expand their scope or get very specific. The last of my ANBU guards is a Teacup Peke-faced Himalayan Persian Kitten. Apparently teacup cat breeds aren't well-liked amongst the ANBU so we just call him Little Teacup. He's a really sweet guy even if he did destroy a batch of my ink due to carelessness. He's up in the shadows somewhere. He's a little shy but he just needs his time. He'll come down when he's ready."

Temari couldn't tell if Michiko was joking so she ignored the last few bits. "Has it really gotten that bad?"

"Probably not, but it's a bit of a problem if you can tell when an agent entered ANBU just by how uncommon and specific their codename is. I think it's a preemptive measure."

"I see." Michiko's casual relationship with her ANBU guard raised red flags. The fact that she even had an ANBU guard spoke volumes. She wasn't just a person involved with Gaara's seal, she was a major player and she'd been one for long enough to have gotten comfortable with the ANBU. Not only that, but the ANBU were receptive to getting acquainted, even if it was on a superficial level. This meant that it was going to be a long-term thing. Suna really was desperate if they had to place one of their biggest weapons in the hands of an untested Konoha nutcase.

Michiko was here to stay and Temari couldn't change that. Yes, it was best to make friends while she could. She would make nice, for now. When she came to power, people like Michiko would be simple to deal with.

* * *

Ryosei had been temporarily reassigned to Katashi's project for the day and had been hoping that it would stay that way for the next week. Alas, they were dealing with the Queen of Hardasses, long may she reign. A day off after four months of 20 hour shifts was apparently enough for her.

Ryosei had a little drink in light of this after everyone had gone home. Unfortunately, Ryosei was new to this whole 'self-moderation' thing and may have gotten just a little bit more tipsy than was perhaps appropriate.

As per his amazingly clear judgement, he decided to enter the fuuinjutsu research lab that was personalised to the point of being Michiko's baby. He wasn't quite sure why he decided to enter but it'd just popped into his mind and wasn't there some beer in the mini fridge?

Ryosei walked unsteadily to the fridge, nearly tripping over a stray chair. He opened and rummaged through the fridge. He couldn't find any beer but the sight of a bottle of ginger ale made him forgot the beer in favour of it.

He dragged one of the chairs over to the wall and sat on it. He didn't have a bottle opener and instead of getting up to find one, Ryosei decided to bend the metal cap off the glass bottle. It was common practice and Ryosei had done it many times. But he'd never bothered to test his abilities under motor-impairing conditions and thus miscalculated his strength.

The bottle cracked and burst, sending glass shards and ginger ale everywhere. Ryosei immediately dropped the bottle. In his drunken haze, he hadn't realised that he was sitting next to Michiko's beloved calculator and- wait, hadn't Katashi said to never touch it and that it was really expensive. Like millions of ryo expensive?

The possibility of going bankrupt was enough to sober Ryosei a little and he moved to clean up the mess, grabbing tissues and a bucket of soapy water from the toilet down the hall. The glass had scratched and dented the calculator a little and the ginger ale had seeped into the bottom. Ryosei used a small earth jutsu, trying his best to manipulate the metal back to its original shape. It worked somewhat and the dents and scratches weren't visible anymore, though they still could be felt. He could do a better job but Ryosei didn't want to risk it while he was still under alcohol.

The ale was the next problem and while he could clean the outside, the ale had gotten into the cracks between the calculator's part. There weren't any screws or anything and Ryosei couldn't do the water release so he just splashed water onto it in hopes that he could get those droplets out. It worked somewhat but the ale had already gotten inside the machine and he could smell it.

Ryosei didn't know how to open it so he created a small hole in the metal with an earth jutsu and dumped water into the calculator and used tissues to soak off the access. By the time he was done, he'd managed to get all the ginger ale smell out. The inner wires, weird fiddly plates and other computer electric stuff were soaked in water but he couldn't exactly clean all that. It was just water and no one would look in there. It'd evaporate soon enough.

Satisfied with his cleanup job, Ryosei left to go to bed for the night. Tomorrow was going to be long but whatever.

* * *

*Author's Note:

I'm feeling a little bored and cluttered so I've been dumping all my little story ideas into the last few chapters while giving enough plot for the main story. I like poking fun at dumb things. This story is essentially a giant dark parody.

Can you give me some ideas of what to make fun of? Stuff that you find stupid and irritating.

For example,

Weirdly commonly accepted stuff. (accidental boob grabbing, orgasmic food, girl doesn't get arrested for swinging a guy around and flinging him against a wall)

Character tropes. (Chosen ones, unnecessarily tragic backstory that doesn't negatively affect MC but is just there for pity points, strong female character that gets kidnapped and defeated regularly)

Strange genre conventions. (the detective always has the exact amount of information to solve the case and somehow ends up in a mystery everywhere he goes, harem protagonists are indecisive/conservative virgins who never get creeped out or get restraining orders when every eligible girl they meet throws themselves at him)

Nonsensical character gimmicks and Naruto plot holes. (Jiraiya doesn't get arrested or ostracised by more upstanding ninja for his well-known and even iconic invasions of privacy. Everyone's understanding of Kakashi's hang ups and the higher ups don't even reprimand him. No one thought that mistreating Naruto, who houses a monster powerful enough to decimate half of Konoha and is the only Uzumaki in Konoha, was a bad idea and that they should probably ensure his loyalty and train him. No one thought to send Sasuke to the Yamanaka for brainwashing even after the last Uchiha displayed multiple signs of disloyalty and a willingness to turn traitor for his own goals.)

Contradictory reactions. (A guy with two girls is lucky and a girl with two guys is a slut, people complain that characters don't truly die often but when they do die the fans bash the author and demand the character returns, hipsters complaining that something isn't popular and turning their back on it when it becomes popular)

Stuff like that. It doesn't have to be anime or manga, it can be films, books, games and the like. It can be normal stupid everyday stuff you hate. Hating something is often more or as engaging as loving something. Let us all unite together with laughter, solidarity and a combined hate towards idiots while assuring ourselves that we are definitely not part of the uncool group.

If you don't want to review, you can send a PM. I reply to all reviews and PMs generally just before I post a chapter. I'm also curious as to how many people read the author's notes.


	36. Fuck Ups III

Michiko had enjoyed her day off with Akio much more than she should have while on a 30-year deadline but what was done was done. She didn't have anymore time to invest in her relationship meters while trying to speedrun the level. She could indulge in her guilty pleasures once she had cleared this world. Perhaps things would be different with Akio in another world. She rather missed her seven cats, big yard and calm civilian life. Calm by her standards, that was.

With a fairly good mood and a few whimsical thoughts flowing through her brain, Michiko walked into her research lab and picked off where she'd started. She was almost done with a new counter seal for Gaara. His mind was too delicate to meddle with too much but that also meant that the seals already in place were causing serious damage. She had quite a few mind protection seals she'd been developing. She had to learn from scratch because there simply weren't many in existence. They were incredibly headache inducing to make, relatively easy to crack and why bother when suicide seals were cheap, easy and foolproof?

Having so many time and resources to explore mind seals was really breaking new ground. MIchiko couldn't wait to have a chat with Jiraiya. He was such a sweetheart when he wasn't trying to grope her or coerce her into entertaining his fetishes.

Being the creator, she already had a firm grasp of the foundations of the seal and the modifications had only taken three days. Today was operating day. She just needed to check over the seal, run a few simulations with her calculator and she'd be done.

She started up the calculator. It loaded for a few seconds before glitching out. No problem, it happened sometimes. Computers here just weren't as shock-resistant or reliable and chakra sometimes interfered with the magnetism. She tried to load it up again but it refused to start. Frowning, Michiko pushed the start button a few more times and changed the battery tank but it didn't do anything.

Little Teacup, being the newest and most even-tempered, was chosen to be the sacrificial lamb once again as he appeared by the doorway. "What's wrong?"

Michiko shrugged. "I have no idea. It wouldn't start." Behind her, Ryosei was growing uneasy. Not a real surprise. If they thought it was necessary to send Teacup down, they probably thought she was going to blow up soon.

Teacup stayed silent as Michiko poked at the computer. Pressing the restart button did nothing, changing the battery tank again did nothing and she couldn't think of a reason why it wouldn't work.

She kneeled down to check the battery again before closing it back up. She'd just have to send it to Takumi for repair. Luckily, he was in town and would be able to arrange something quickly for her.

Sighing, she patted her calculator affectionately a few times only to find that the plate next to the battery wasn't completely smooth. She felt it again and confirmed that the surface was damaged. Behind her, Ryosei was getting a little fidgety. Instantly suspicious, Michiko placed her hand above the dented surface and passed her chakra through it gently. It unlocked and Michiko removed the metal sheet. The smell of damp air hit her and some of the wires had clearly been tampered with. If Suna was behind it, then it was a serious breach of trust. This calculator was as much a weapon as her Grenade Seals and to open it up and look inside was seriously damaging to relations. It raised questions as to whether Suna had been trying to steal Konoha's sealing work and Konoha was very iffy about that after the annihilation of Uzushiogakure.

"Someone forcibly opened up my calculator and dumped a bunch of water in it." Michiko announced making sure to appear as calm as possible. Internally, she was cursing up and down, calculating exactly how many _months_ this could set her back

"Sunagakure will conduct a thorough investigation." Teacup promised.

Michiko nodded in acknowledgement, her eyes still peeled on her calculator. Should she still go through with the operation? The seals were more or less complete but what if the calculator had been tampered with when she'd used it. Now she couldn't trust Suna security but putting up barrier would emit too much chakra and interfere with magnetism. Maybe just a detection barrier? If she made it wide enough, then maybe the chakra won't interfere too much. She'd have to get everyone to steer clear of the barrier and the implementation would take awhile. It would take three days to get word back to Konoha, two or three weeks to build a new calculator and a week and a half to slowly ship it to Konoha and that was if there weren't any sandstorms. She would lose at least a month. Two months with complications.

If Ryosei was behind this, Michiko was going to end his career. Depending on how much trouble he caused, she'd either have his arms cut off or she'd just make him wash the Puppet Brigade's toilets for the rest of his life.

"I hope that your investigation teams are sufficient. Today's operation is cancelled. I need to run through all the calculations again to make sure there are no discrepancies. I'll go pen a letter to the Hokage and order a new calculator before coming back. Shouldn't take too long."

"You're going yourself?" Teacup questioned.

"Akio hasn't met Takumi yet." Michiko turned to Ryosei. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll go help Katashi-sama."

Michiko didn't want Ryosei near her lab but she had no proof. At least this way he'd be with Katashi instead of her lab. Since an A-class security breach had just happened, nothing in the room could be moved anyway and a team of ANBU would be guarding the site.

Michiko nodded stiffly. "Then I'll take my leave."

* * *

Akio followed Michiko as she wrote a report for the Hokage before casually walking out of the research lab and heading to Takumi's Suna vacation home, her face that very picture of serene if not for its stone cold nature. She walked up the walls and knocked on Takumi's study window. Takumi opened the window, unsurprised that it was her and concern filled his face.

"What happened to you?" He asked while stepping away from the window and letting her in. Michiko stepped in before looking out and motioning Akio to follow. Akio did so and she shut the window.

"Takumi, this is Akio, my life manager. Akio, this is Takumi, founder of Autumn Artisan and one of my sons." Sons? The guy was twice her age!

Takumi smiled as he reached out to shake Akio's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Akio looked down at the offered hand. "This guy is civilian, right? Doesn't know any jutsu at all?" The guy didn't look fit at all with his flabby arms, smooth hands and big round tummy but you could never really tell with the Akimichi.

"He suffers from a similar condition from me. He never attended the academy."

Akio frowned but at last reached out his own hand and grasped Takumi's, shaking it a few times before letting go.

Takumi didn't take any offence to Akio's reluctance, unlike most civilians. Probably because he was from a ninja family. "You've done a good job with Michi."

Akio's face twisted in bewilderment. "'Michi'?"

Takumi smiled. "We've known each other for a while."

Akio turned to Michiko. "Do you have a pet name for him too?"

Michiko looked both amused and annoyed. "No."

"So what's the problem?" asked Takumi.

"Some twat disgraced the species by deciding that dumping water into my calculator was a good idea."

Surprisingly, Takumi's smile widened. "If that's the case, then it's perfect. You see, I actually had my team develop a brand new calculator after hearing of your long project to make up for not getting you a birthday and christmas present. They're in the second half of testing phase right now but if you want, I can have them skip it and bring it over in a week."

Michiko blinked. And blinked again. And then she let out a high-pitched squeal and tackled Takumi to the ground, her arms barely reaching around his midriff.

"Oh my god, Takumi! Have I told you how much I love you before?"

Takumi laughed and returned the hug. "Many times."

After a few more seconds of smothering the life out of Takumi, Michiko straightened herself, ignoring Akio's stare. "What are the upgrades on the calculator?"

"We've reduced the size by 15% and increased durability. It should be able to withstand a 15 cm drop. We've changed the interface a little so it gets less cluttered and quintupled memory capacity and increased calculation speed by 275%. The downside is that it takes three times as much electricity and it was developed with the mindset that you'd be in Konoha in your own lab with an electrical outlet so it's a plug-in. Instead of starting over from scratch, I had them build a portable electrical outlet that's battery-powered for the calculator to plug into. It's a parallel circuit with three paths for currents, each with ten batteries. You won't have to work around the battery's life anymore. The cooling system is a little bit better as well but I still won't advise working it too hard."

Akio had no idea what any of that meant but Michiko seemed ecstatic. "I love you so much."

Takumi grinned. "Good bribery never fails to work with you. I got you some new books too. Not exactly sure what they are but they're from Uzushiogakure."

Michiko looked like she was about to swoon from sheer ecstasy. She hugged Akio instead and squeezed him with all her strength. While getting swung around wasn't really painful for Akio, it definitely would've killed Takumi. After she calmed down somewhat, she put him down but she still trembled with excitement as Takumi handed her a scroll and she tucked it away in one of her arm storage seals.

"Want to have breakfast?" Takumi asked.

Michiko sighed regretfully. "I took a sick day off yesterday. I have to go in today."

"I can make crepes filled with custard and orange dark chocolate ganache topped with strawberries, cocoa powder, icing sugar and whipped cream."

Akio could tell that Michiko was tempted. "I need to send a report to the Hokage about the incident."

"It's important but it's not urgent, is it? Whether the Hokage receives the report an hour or a day later doesn't really matter."

"I specifically told the ANBU that I would definitely be in today."

"I can cook for the ANBU too."

Akio could tell that the ANBU were sold immediately, even if he couldn't see them. ANBU Captain Crab was a sucker for delicious exotic food and all the leftovers Akio left outside the door were always finished. The ANBU had competitions to kill time while the of them were sleeping and the prize was often the leftovers, at least if Teacup was to be believed. Whenever Akio cooked a special meal, Michiko always had him cook enough for the ANBU to build good relations. The Akimichi had legendary status amongst the culinary world. All the ANBU were sick of 24/7 guard duty and no one passed up an opportunity to have an Akimichi cook for them. It would be sacrilege for a foodie like Crab.

Unsurprisingly, Crab appeared by the window. "I'm sure Kazekage-sama wouldn't begrudge you for taking one more day off. We will need time regardless." Akio supposed that they would have to comb the lab after that security breach to make sure nothing had been tempered with, making it unusable for at least a day or two. Things weren't looking good for Suna so the Kazekage probably wouldn't even mention Michiko taking time to eat a second breakfast.

Michiko gave Crab her 'you're not fooling anyone' look. "I suppose I could spar while you cook. Do any of you want to?"

Crab had far fewer scruples than Katashi and immediately threw the newbie into the lion's den. "Teacup can accompany you."

Michiko giggled. "Well, aren't you a sweet senpai?"

"I believe in tough love."

"But of course, sweetcheeks." Michiko climbed onto the window. "Oh and Akio, call me when the food's ready."

Michiko lept out of the window, leaving Akio behind. Takumi turned to the ANBU.

"Any special toppings you'd like?"

"What's a crepe?"

"It's a paper thin pastry and you can fill it with anything. Have you had a pancake and a burrito?" Crab nodded. "It's sort of like a cross between the two. There's savoury ones with cheese, ham and eggs and sweet ones as well. Are you allergic to anything?"

Crab shook his head. "No. I'll eat whatever the chef recommends."

Takumi smiled. "I love diners that aren't picky." He turned to Akio. "Would you like to help me with the cooking?"

Akio knew how to make crepes but judging by Michiko's reaction to Takumi's offer, his was nowhere near Takumi's league and that just rubbed him the wrong way.

"Okay."

"Good. Then follow me."

Akio followed Takumi into the kitchen and they both set to work with ANBU Crab no doubt watching. Crepes, ganache and custard weren't that hard to make but Akio wasn't very familiar with Michiko's sweeter recipes, having focused on the more nutritional ones. Even then, he preferred traditional cooking and he rarely made desserts. Clearly, he needed to change that.

Takumi was surprisingly quick and deft for an overweight civilian. He dumped ingredients into bowls without measurement and directed Akio in his soft voice.

"Have you worked in a kitchen before?" asked Akio.

"I used to. Before Michi picked me up."

"How old was she?"

"Young. Very young. She tricked me into thinking she was older with genjutsu and henge at first. She thought I wouldn't take her seriously otherwise and she was probably right."

"The two of you are close?"

"I suppose you could say that. We're pretty close friends." Takumi laughed at Akio's sour face. "Don't worry! We're not as close as you two are. I'm not a ninja so there's just some stuff she can't share with me. Besides, I'm twice her age. I think I might have liked her when I thought she was my age but that vanished pretty quickly."

"I know. Michiko-chan isn't like that."

"You know, I'm sure Michi wouldn't mind if you give her a pet name."

Akio scrowled. "What would I call her? 'Michi' sounds weird."

Takumi smiled. God, did he ever stop smiling? "It's fitting. I'm sure you can ditch the honorifics with no trouble. Michi isn't very particular about that sort of thing."

"It's weird."

"I suppose. Still, you did a great job yesterday. I'm sure you were the one who convinced her to rest."

"How would you know that?"

"Who else would it be?"

"I don't know. Itachi?"

Takumi laughed. "I haven't met the young man but if anything I've heard about him is true, he'd never do such a thing. How's he like?"

"A complete and utter ass who thinks he's better than everyone else just because he's 'noble' or some shit. He's stuck in a sewer that he can easily get out of if he just opened his eyes but his head's stuck so far up his ass that he can't even smell the shit flowing around him."

"Not the brightest, I take it?"

"Obviously. And the worst thing is that his skull's so thick that he can't figure anything out despite Michiko-chan and everyone around him smashing his head through the wall repeatedly."

"Common sense isn't as common as one might like to think and it isn't always right. Take Michi as an example."

"Give me an example of when Michiko-chan is wrong."

"Every time she insists she's perfectly fine."

"Well- okay, that's a given. Anything else?"

"Every time she says she's normal and that everyone else is just really bad."

"She's just using her own standards. Which are ridiculous but not wrong or anything."

"Every time she acts like 16 hour shifts are the norm and those who only work for 12 hours are slackers."

"She knows it's not the norm! She just acts like that because… she just acts like that."

Takumi laughed. "I'm just saying that common sense isn't actually common. It changes all the time." Takumi checked the ganache. "It's thick enough now. How's the custard doing?"

Akio stirred the custard. "Should be thick enough."

"Great. I'll plate it while you go get Michi."

Akio nodded and walked out of the kitchen to the front door. He put on his shoes before realising he had no idea which training ground Michiko went to.

"Hey, Crab? Where did Michiko-chan go?"

Crab hung down from the door frame and pointed to his left. "42."

Akio headed straight to where Crab had directed him to. Takumi lived on the edge of the civilian sector which was largely unharmed in the invasion. It didn't take long for Akio to find the training ground.

One look at the training ground and Akio immediately knew not to interfere. The two of them were in close-ranged combat with Michiko's kunai against Teacup's tanto. Michiko had a huge grin plastered over her face as she breathed heavily and her shadows snaked around her arms and legs. Comparatively, Teacup only had a light pant as he tried to strike her again and again, always wary of her shadows and careful not to be manipulated into a tight spot. The training ground was filled with potholes and raised spikes, forcing the fighters to be extra aware of their surroundings lest they lose balance.

After Teacup tried to back away and Michiko threw kunai at him, it was clear that Teacup was the one who wanted to increase distance and Michiko was keeping him locked in close quarters. This was extremely unusual for Michiko which either meant that Teacup's jutsu outstripped her so much that Michiko couldn't afford to go into long-ranged combat or there was some other Michiko reason. She probably wanted to test something or she was limiting herself again.

The fight continued on for five more minutes before Michiko started to lose her grin. She'd get bored soon and Akio decided to intervene.

"Crepes are ready!" Akio shouted. "You guys should really wrap it up!"

Michiko allowed Teacup to jump back. She resealed the kunai and withdrew her shadows.

"That was a good spar." Michiko said.

"You weren't bad." Teacup replied.

Michiko laughed. "Glad you think so, Little Teacup. Let's head back."

Teacup sheathed his tanto and headed back to Takumi's house ahead of them, presumably so he had time to find a nice cosy spot in the shadows to hide in. Michiko and Akio headed back in a more leisurely pace.

"So how was Teacup?"

"Hmm… Better than I expected."

"As in?"

"They're cute and fluffy but in the end, wild kittens are mini tigers who like to pounce and hunt. He was really sweet in trying to hold back. I really didn't think through this spar thoroughly enough."

"... Okay?"

Michiko laughed. "Nevermind. So did you learn anything?"

"Little stuff. You don't talk to Akimichi a lot, do you?"

"Not really. We're both very busy and we've got our own lives."

"He mentioned that he liked you."

Michiko snorted. "For all of two hours before I revealed my age. I think that shocked him enough to swear off kunoichi."

"I suppose you're weird like that. You know, just your age and the way you act."

"I'm sure there are far weirder 13-year-olds out there. Itachi will be in pieces by then."

Akio scrowled. "The bastard's fucked but that's always been a given. I mean people like you who are completely insane. Not a fucking robot."

"Hmm… I'm sure Hatake Kakashi would've been a good candidate when he was my age. And every single child ANBU ever. I'm not that bad in comparison." Akio stared at Michiko skeptically. Michiko rolled her eyes. "No, really, Akio. I'm not that bad."

"You hear that deafening siren pulsing right next to your eardrums? Yeah, that was my bullshit detector going off. You look fine… for a kill happy psychopath but you're more fucked up than Itachi will ever be."

"Maybe, but I'm a functioning kill happy psychopath. That's what counts."

"What's the point if you can't enjoy life?"

"Work hard when you're young and then you can retire well when you're older."

"Never took you for conventional wisdom."

"Blindly rejecting everything 'conventional' is just as dumb as blindly following it."

"Yeah but when are you going to retire? It's not like you have a lot of time. As a ninja, I mean."

"Maybe I'll tell you someday."

"Oh."

The two of them ran in silence back to Takumi's home. Michiko tracked sand into the house and got mud on the dining chair but Takumi didn't seem to care. The table was laid out already and all the ANBU bar Teacup were seated.

"Little Teacup isn't joining us?" asked Michiko.

"No."

"Oh." Takumi said. "Would anyone like the extra crepe then?"

"Little Teacup's just shy." Michiko said. "He doesn't like to eat with us but he's up here somewhere. He'll be having the crepe."

"I see."

The six of them ate fairly quickly with Crab grilling Takumi for cooking tricks and recipes. Teacup's plate disappeared and reappeared empty sometime during the meal. Mole was mostly silent and Planarian piped in once in awhile, their masks pushed up just enough to shovel food into their mouths. As their meal drew to a close, Akio could see Michiko's eyes drooping a little. She always avoided eating heavy meals because she got sleepy but she'd now had two breakfasts in a row and she was still running a fever.

"Do you want to head home, Michiko-chan?"

Michiko scrowled.

"It'll be fine. You've just got some new books and you can't use your calculator. You can just stay home where it's nice and cosy while you read up. You'll be less stressed and you can always work in the dining room."

Michiko still didn't look pleased but there was nothing much she could do. All her advanced equipment was in the lab and nothing could be moved while an investigation was going on. The most she could do was reading and coming up with ideas.

Michiko turned to the ANBU. "Do you think the Kazekage will object to me working from home?"

Planarian shrugged. "Where else would you work?"

"I was thinking of setting up a temporary new lab."

Planarian frowned. "Remember how much trouble we had setting things up the first time round? I think it's more effort than it's worth. I do not want Konoha sending Suna under reparations bill. It shouldn't take more than a few days."

Michiko was back in her foul mood, but it wasn't murderous like before. "Very well. I shall work from home for the next few days. I suppose the break will serve you well."

Planarian gave a dry smile. "It's always vested interest, Nara-san. It's always vested interest."

"Then I suppose we should head back now." Michiko gave Takumi a smile. "I'd hug you again but I'm a little dirty."

Takumi smiled back. "No worries, Michi. My Suna home could use some sealing work."

Michiko beamed. "Of course, sweetie. Anything for you."

The two of them shared a laugh for some reason before Michiko slowly stood up. "I'll be leaving now, Takumi. Thanks for the breakfast."

"Anytime, Michi."

The rest of the ANBU also got to their feet with Mole and Planarian vanishing into the shadows. Crab extended his hand towards Takumi to the surprise of everyone.

"It was a pleasure meeting you." Crab said.

Recovering from his shock, Takumi shook Crab's hand. "Thank you. It's always a pleasure to meet a fellow food enthusiast. Feel free to drop by."

Crab laughed and gestured towards his mask. "That'll be difficult." Crab couldn't very well reveal his identity to Takumi and while Akio didn't know much about ANBU rules, he was sure that using your mask just to learn new recipes probably wasn't looked upon favourably.

"Oh sorry. I didn't think that one through. Well then, if you can convince Michi to come over for a lunch break, I'll cook a nice meal for everyone. Provided that I'm free, of course."

Michiko groaned and Akio grinned. The ANBU now had incentive to get Michiko to take a break. They may yet be recruitable allies in Akio's quest.

After a few more goodbyes, they headed back to the apartment. Akio ushered Michiko into the shower and he bathed her. This time with a little less embarrassment and no fainting. Michiko was curled in bed feeling nice, comfy and totally at peace as she flipped through a book when the doorbell rang. Akio peeked out and to his surprise-

"Nii-san!"

"Ayano? What are you doing here?"

"Gai-sensei got called away on a long mission so I thought I'd come and surprise you two? Can I come in?"

Akio let Ayano in… and immediately took a step back. His little sister had grown a little in the past few months but the most stark differences were cosmetic. Her hair was cut short to her cheekbones, she wore a green bandana (but not a spandex, _thank god_ ) and she'd gotten a lot tanner. Her grin twinkled a little and she'd gained some muscle.

"You look… different."

Ayano beamed. "That's cause I am. You look great too and you're chuunin now!"

"Yeah, but nothing's really changed."

"That's good! So how's Michiko-shishou?"

"Same as always. She's reading in the bedroom now. Fuuinjutsu and stuff."

"Oh. And how's Uchiha-san?"

"He turned out to be a greater asshole than I'd thought. He's complete bullshit."

Ayano frowned. "Oh. Okay. Can I talk to Michiko-shishou?"

"Sure."

Akio walked to the bedroom with Ayano tailing behind and opened the door. "Michiko-chan, Ayano wants to talk to you."

Michiko looked up and put down her book. "Ayano. Please, come on in. Can you stay outside, Akio?"

"Why?"

Michiko smiled. "Nothing too important."

Akio frowned but left the room.

* * *

The door closed and Ayano turned to Michiko.

"So what happened with Uchiha-san?"

"He did the unforgivable."

"Oh… you said something about wanting him to train me."

"... I'm not too sure about that now."

"Why not?"

"He's not the most mentally stable."

"He's never been."

"He's a hopeless case."

"... You've given up on him."

"Yes."

Ayano studied Michiko face for a few seconds before beaming. "Don't worry! My bullshit detector is a hundred times better than nii-san's!"

Michiko frowned and hesitated for a while before replying.

"Do as you will.


	37. Fuck Ups IV

Itachi came home to see Michiko, Akio and Ayano together. Michiko was tucked in her bed writing something and Akio and Ayano were chatting outside.

"Hello!" Ayano greeted. "Remember me?"

"Good evening, Kouru-san."

"Good evening to you too! Michiko-shishou said you'll be training me while in Suna!"

"I see."

Itachi went into the bedroom to confirm his orders, shutting the door behind him. As they were alone, he got down on one knee.

"Michiko-hime. What are my orders?"

"I want a complete assessment of Ayano. See what you can do with ninjutsu but don't expect much. If there's anything about taijutsu that you can impart, do so unless it compromises your standing with your clan. Teach her the basics of ninja culture, Konoha or otherwise. Politics, philosophy, economics, tradition, teach her enough so she gets a basic picture. Ayano can't read very well so don't dump books onto her. She's not going to be able to read anything with specific terminology. Don't preach to her either. Take note that Ayano loses her respect for you very quickly if you don't return the respect. It's also probably best to keep Shisui away from her as much as possible. Ayano can be offensively flippant when she's not being careful. She's polite to strangers but the moment she classifies you as a friend, her filter switches off instantly. The switch is rather jarring so don't be surprised when it happens. It's a good sign."

"Very well. When would you like the assessment?"

"Take your time. You have until you leave Suna. I have a long mission lined up for you afterwards."

"Understood."

Itachi straightened himself and walked back out to the hallway.

"Kouru-san. We shall begin tomorrow morning at 5 am. Be prepared."

Ayano beamed back. "Okay!"

* * *

Ayano woke up at 4 am with a yawn as she fumbled with the alarm. Beside her, Akio groaned, half-asleep, while Michiko and Itachi in the other bed started getting up. Ayano was used to getting up this early, but the time difference was putting her clock out of wack.

After five more minutes, the two siblings decided to get up. There was only one bathroom for the four of them so Ayano brushed her teeth in the kitchen sink. After finding out she'd had to use the kitchen sink, Itachi graciously offered to let her use the bathroom first. Michiko didn't bother showering or even putting on clothes and Akio didn't object, even if there was a tense stare off every time Itachi talked to her. She and Michiko had a little chat while the boys were being drama queens and Michiko told her exactly how well she'd warned Itachi about her. That'd be interesting.

Itachi led her to a nearby training ground. Even though the sun hadn't risen yet, the air was still hot. "Show me what you can do."

Ayano charged at Itachi and Itachi allowed her to engage in close quarters combat. She threw punch after punch, kick after kick but nothing landed. Ayano hadn't really expected for anything to hit but she'd sparred with a bunch of ninja who thought to take one of her punches to test her and they had to go see a medic. She supposed Itachi not taking any of her punches was a good sign.

After about ten minutes of this, Itachi called for her to stop. "Show me your ninjutsu."

"Oh, I can't do that stuff."

"... Excuse me?"

"I never went to the Academy and Gai-sensei doesn't teach ninjutsu. I never really got the hang of it."

"But you can clearly shift your chakra around to control the impact of your blows."

"Gai-sensei taught me how to do that but that's sort of a natural thing. You just go with the flow, ya know? When I wanna hit harder, I just do it without thinking. No biggie. But all this hand seals and chakra control stuff just don't feel right."

"Can you do the basic three?"

"The what?"

"Bunshin, henge and kawarimi."

"Oh yeah. I can sort of do the bunshin."

"Show me."

Ayano did the hand seals and a translucent clone appeared next to her. It flickered for a while before disappearing.

"You aren't using enough chakra and you aren't packing it densely enough. That's why it's dispersing. Try again."

Ayano tried but it just looked like an overstuffed balloon. Ayano snickered at the clone before it poofed.

"Try again."

Ayano tried five more times, each time increasing her chakra but it just looked more and more stuffed. She tried compressing it but it was super hard and felt slimy. Ayano didn't like the feeling.

Itachi activated his sharingan. "Try again." Ayano did it one more time with similar results. "Stop. What's your chakra nature?"

"My what?"

"Your elemental nature."

"The fire water thing? I dunno."

"Ninja with a long family history of a certain elemental type can run into difficulties if they're born with a different nature. This results in mixed-typing and no real dominant nature."

"So?"

"Their chakra can be murky and harder to separate into elements resulting in it being harder to control."

"So I have a weird typing?"

"You don't seem to be a fire nature."

"Oh! So that's why there's so much Uchiha fire bullsssssheeet metaphors going around!"

"... Regardless, it seems as if you don't have a natural aptitude for any sort of jutsu but the yin and yang elements should still be within your reach."

"Ooooookay. You lost me."

Itachi looked mildly irritated as he explained the whole elemental relations stuff and a bunch of chakra control theory. Ayano got most of it. Sort of… but it still sounded really weird.

"So there are seven elements but not really because yin and yang are part of all the elemental elements and not?"

"There is yin fire and yang fire. It is not a combination of yin/yang and fire but how much proportion of both yin and yang you use. Yin and yang are two elements that encompass all elements and are their basis. There are yin and yang as separate elements but no fire/water or other elements without yin and yang."

"Okay and this is important why?"

"So you understand the logic behind chakra."

"We can't just do it and figure out the theory along the way?"

"No."

"Then what do I do with it?"

"It should help you visualise and understand how your chakra behaves."

"Okay…?"

"Now try again."

Ayano tried ten more times before Itachi stopped her.

"You're doing it wrong."

"So what's wrong?"

"Condense your chakra more."

"How do I do that?"

"... It should come naturally."

"You can just say you don't know how to explain it, ya know. I'm not gonna hold it against you."

"It is an extremely basic and intuitive skill."

"Yeah but you must've learnt it somehow."

Itachi was getting more and more frustrated. "Show me what you can do with your chakra."

"I already did!"

"I don't mean jutsu. Just basic chakra exercises."

"I told you, I can't do any of that shiiiiizzzzsstuff!"

"Your taijutsu moves should be impossible without some awareness of chakra manipulation."

"I don't care what should or shouldn't be possible. I just do it. I wanna punch harder, more chakra comes. I wanna kick longer, more chakra comes. That's it."

"Then how did you do the bunshin?"

"I don't know. I just looked at the chart and watched nii-san do it. And then I gave up."

"The academy chart?"

"Yeah."

"Then you should have read the textbook."

"I couldn't read back then."

"When did you start training with chakra?"

"Erm… like end of last year. I think it was November or December. Something like that."

"So you're halfway to graduate level in little over six months with no prior training or any chakra theory knowledge whatsoever."

"Yep!"

Suddenly, Itachi's frustration was replaced with incredible curiosity and caution. "Michiko-hime never fails to surprise me. What field are you working towards?"

"Field?"

"Assassination, tracking, escort, protection, research, assault, medical, teaching, infiltration, cleanup, torture, networking, diplomacy-"

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm not going to be a ninja."

"... Come again?"

"I'm not going to be a ninja."

Ayano could see the frustration creeping back into Itachi. Aww. Itachi was such a poor little fuzzy wuzzy Uchiha bunny. Ayano could see why Akio and Itachi were at each other's throats all the time. "Then why are you training?"

"Because it's fun!"

Frustration turned to annoyance. "The ninja arts isn't about fun. It's about growing strong enough to protect the weak. If you aren't willing to be serious, then do not learn it."

Ayano pouted. It was like dealing with Akio all over again. "It's not all about protecting and all that noble shssssshtick. It can be money or tradition or power or other stuff like that. It's fun to hang out with ninja and fight. I don't have to protect anyone and I don't want to. I can do whatever the fuuu-hell I want with my taijutsu and the government can't say shhhsssanything about it!"

"... You don't have to try so hard. I know what you're about to say."

"Oh great! So I can swear?"

"I personally do not approve of such vulgarities."

Ayano heard him loud and clear. "Yay! At least you aren't as stupidly stubborn as nii-san! I'm so happy you think with your brain even if you are still so fucking traditional!"

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"There ain't but me and tradition getting along's like the Uchiha wearing rainbow t-shirts and rad sunglasses, shouting 'LOVE, PEACE AND DICKS FOR EVERYONE!' during the Unity Festival!"

Ayano burst into giggles at the face Itachi made after processing the image. The Uchiha thought they were badass and cool by being the typical 'stoic, dignified, noble man of duty' but they really just looked like they were giving birth to a dozen porcupines every time their faces tried doing emotion. God, the Uchiha were such adorable little dorks when they weren't being complete dickheads.

Itachi gave her a glare but the slight pout just sent Ayano into another burst of giggles and she struggled not to pinch his cheeks. They were just so puffy and round! "This is not funny. Control yourself."

"And you need to relax more! You're in Suna! The desert village! Look around, take everything in!"

"I am not on vacation. I am not here for fun."

"I don't see why you can't do your job and enjoy yourself too! Gai-sensei always tells me great stories about his time overseas. It's a marvellous opportunity!"

"Suna is in ruins."

"You get to see Suna rise up again! You get to work with all their ninja and make friends! The best way to know someone is to see them as the world falls apart!"

"Networking isn't a speciality of mine."

"Doesn't mean you can't get better."

"Teams are there for a reason. I have Michiko-hime."

Ayano giggled. Oh, what a sweet, sweet, little dork. Itachi's bullshit was _deep_. "Unless you're a caveman, talking's something ya gotta do. The little boys say you're an arrogant, aloof jackass who thinks everyone is beneath him cause you don't talk. People are dumb like that. If they have nothing, they'll make stuff up. And that stuff is gonna be based off your Uchihaness since that's the easiest thing."

"I have no need to impress academy children."

"It's not just the academy, 'kay? People are just like that. You're an arrogant dick if you wear the Uchiha fan, plain 'n' simple. Ya gotta talk to people. Why do you think your clan's headin' straight for Shinigami-sama's sweet, sweet embrace? Aren't you clan heir?"

"... I shall consider it."

Ayano beamed. "Hooray for non-pig-headed Uchiha!"

"Kouru-san, while I understand that both you and your brother perceive my clan as having done unpunished acts of injustice against the two of you, I would appreciate it if you refrained from gratuitously insulting them before me for I would be obliged to defend my clan."

"Politics, politics. Ah well, I'll try but no promises. My mouth just keeps yammerin' away. How do you get along with Shisui then?"

"Shisui is my elder cousin."

Aaaaand… half of Ayano's goodwill immediately vanished. Ayano sighed regretfully. They'd been doing so well! "Man, Michiko-shishou and nii-san weren't kidding. I suppose that's about what I'd expect. Such a shame."

"What do you mean?"

Oops. "Never mind that, shall we get on with it?"

Itachi let go of the matter. "We can leave ninjutsu for another day. For now, I find your knowledge on clan politics to be lacking."

"'Kay, whatever."

"First of all, the main house's most important duty is the protection and preservation of the clan. This includes bloodlines, tradition, honour, wealth and the like. To insult an heir's clan is asking for a duel with both parties' honour at stake. It is simply a matter of duty so I ask that you refrain from doing so. Secondly, the branch house supports and serves the main house. The main house requires resources to maintain its protection and it's the duty of the branch house to follow the main house's directions to do so. This mainly cumulates to doing your designated job and obeying all orders regardless of the cost. Jobs range from assassinations to babysitting and all are to do their duty with the utmost pride. Thirdly- are you listening?"

"Yeah. I know this. I was part of a clan once, remember?"

"Your actions do not reflect it."

"I know it. I just don't care."

Itachi's annoyance grew. "Perhaps this does not affect you directly, but it is the way of life for over 80% of Konoha ninja. A modicum of respect is required if you are to deal with them."

"What are you talkin' about? I have lots of ninja friends! Gai-sensei always brings me about to meet all sorts of people! It's just that Gai-sensei's rainbows and sunshine don't go with all this complicated clan stuff so the ninja I meet aren't as picky as you."

"I am not being 'picky'. I am attempting to educate you on the perspectives of many ninja."

"Hmm… not really. I'm thinking you're thinking everyone's fine and dandy in your clan. No surprise there."

Now Itachi was starting to get angry. "What are you trying to imply?"

"I told you, right? I have many ninja friends. I have many friends that are civilian clan members as well and they aren't that happy."

"I am aware that not all are satisfied but that is the case with every model of society. There will always be people who don't like their lot in life. Nevertheless, they are always a small minority or society will not function. You side with them and you surround yourself with people of the same viewpoint. It is not surprising that you have a skewed perspective."

Ayano laughed so hard she hiccuped. Aww, he was such a sweet summer child. "Me? Skewed perspective? When d'you last talk to someone far below you?"

"I do not see how this has any-"

"You can't remember, can you? Even if you do, it's only with Uchiha and everyone beneath you has to suck your dick. Well, you are talking to a commoner right now and I ain't sucking your dick so hear me now. You hate kissasses but if you ain't kissing ass, you ain't gonna move up. Ya just gotta suck up your pride all the time, ya know. It sucks big time."

"I am aware that there is some corruption and it is an unfortunate potential consequence but not one of the system. The system-"

"Supports and rewards corruption. The moment you're in power, you can basically fuck over anyone below you with no punishment. If you don't kiss ass, you don't get power. Yes, yes, the ones at the very top should fire those people but _I am telling you right now_ that this ain't how your system works. The Uchiha clan is corrupt all the way through and they are the police."

"You paint a grim picture because-"

"'Cause I was at the bottom and my friends are miserable too? You surround yourself with the top dogs and you're all rosy. Ain't that some shit! You don't talk and that just makes you seem extremely distant and arrogant. Even when ya do, you're too busy looking down on us for sucking up to you. Why do you think all the girls are desperate? They don't give a shit about your personality or looks. It is their duty to get married to the best man and you're it. If they don't get a suitor by the time they're 20, they're fucked. You know that but you still whine anyway. If you think the clan system is fine then whatever but don't try and pretend problems don't exist. Don't try and pretend we don't exist."

"... You are angry."

"Took you long enough. Your people are angry and you don't seem to give a flying fuck because you'd rather take the million to one shot at the grand prize. Of course I don't care for your bullshit!"

"When I come to power, I will put anti-corruption measures in place."

Ayano looked incredibly skeptical. "You will or your queen will? You can't even deal with your own cousin and you expect me to believe you'll take care of all the shit your dad encouraged? And don't try and tell me they aren't corrupt as hell. Just ask any police officer and they'll tell you how many women they had to humiliate and threaten in order to keep your cousin out of the courts."

"My cousin has several issues with women but he would not assault them."

"Do you know Uchiha Keiko?"

"She worked at one of the cafes I frequent in. I know she's had trouble with my cousin but he's since been banned from the cafe and she no longer works there."

"Well, she was raped by her dad all throughout her childhood. She went to the police after years of reading self-help books and surprise, surprise, they scolded her for being disobedient and told her to keep her mouth shut and do her duty. Her dad happens to be a council member and I guarantee your dad knows. Your dad made her work at your favourite maid cafe to get oogled and told her to take pride in her work or get booted for disloyalty. Your cousin came along and kept trying to peek up her skirt and saying 'no' meant a one-way ticket to the brothels. He followed her to her house and kept feeling her up. He's a ninja and a serial stalker who digs up info on everyone. But he fucked her anyway. She finally told her friend, her friend told her boss and her boss banned him. Your dad heard about this and he got mad at her for tattling and slutting it up. Guess where she's working now?"

"... Your friend has my deepest condolences. I will see that her situation is rectified and compensated when I return."

"Really? Your dad has all the power. Is he going to listen to you?"

"..."

"That's what I thought. What can you do for her? Jackshit. If you can't do anything for her then I don't want your lip service about protecting the branch houses."

"... There are flaws in everything."

But even as the obligatory words left Itachi's mouth, Ayano could see that they'd lost all their meaning. Itachi couldn't believe his own words. Her job was done.

"You are better than this, Itachi. I'd hate to see you become your dad. Don't get caught up in your little world."

"..."

Ayano could tell her words had struck home. She stretched her arms and congratulated herself. She'd tour Suna, grab breakfast and probably make some friends before going back. "Don't limit yourself, okay? Make some friends while you can. You need them. I'll go get some breakfast."

* * *

It took a while for Itachi to regain his bearings and reassess Ayano's words. He'd always known that the clan system was corrupt and fractured but it was true that he'd never had to encounter it face to face. Ultimately, he had believed that if they could stamp out the corruption and impose a zero tolerance policy for corruption, the clan system would work. It was why clans like the Yamanaka and Hyuuga were doing so much better than the Uchiha.

All the luxury fell on the main house but all the responsibilities also fell on the main house. Itachi had always believed that one's station and luck of birth detonated how much one needed to give back to society and help those who required it. As the heir to one of the noble and founding clans of Konoha who was blessed with incredible talents, it was his duty to aid the less fortunate above all else.

He still believed that one should give back to society and he doubted that would ever change but being confronted with Ayano had put the biggest dent in the faith of in clans since Michiko. Ayano had a low station of birth and Itachi had underestimated her severely because of it. She had luck on her side when it came to talent and the clan system lacked the ability to recognise it, thus she'd fallen through the cracks. The Hyuuga were the ultimate example of the up and downsides of this. Their clan was incredibly powerful, wealthy and prestigious because everyone did their role as perfectly as possible. This meant that the clan as a whole did very well even if individuals suffered as a result. The major downside was that if the main house was incompetent or they weren't working in the clan's best interests, then the whole system would collapse instantly.

There needed to be a fail safe and this usually resulted in the formation of a council. But over time, their effects were weakened due to the main house offering secret concessions for their approval. The council eventually became an extension of the main house. If a new leader with good intentions rose, he would be hindered by the corrupt council or be corrupted to their side. A puppet council was generally a detriment.

Itachi couldn't decide whether a clan head had too much or too little power and the current system was too much of a game of dice. Still, having a main house was good for stability and any new leader was a gamble. Having a guaranteed and well-established successor ahead of time smoothed things over. Merit just needed to play a bigger role. Having more children would increase the likelihood of finding a good heir. Perhaps doing away with the firstborn son rule would be better. Itachi knew that it wouldn't go down well. It had been tradition for so long across all classes for the firstborn son to inherit everything that changing it would destabilise things unless the candidate was incredibly unappealing. But that could be arranged.

Itachi could understand and respect Ayano's issues but after some thinking, Itachi calmed down pretty quickly. The solution wasn't that complicated, just hindered by greed and personal incentives. There needed to be a way to ensure a good leader and there needed to be a way to weed out corruption. One of those ways was by having an easy and accessible way of lower members of society to raise the alarm without consequence. There also needed to be a better way to sort people into the best possible stations and education for all was a quick answer. However, education required money and the Uchiha were stretched thin as it was. But Itachi was sure that if he combed the books, he'd find a lot of the clan's money going into the hands of corrupt individuals. Confiscating their wealth and booting them to lower circles should help the problem.

But all this was for nothing if he couldn't get the clan to stop rebelling and repair relations with Konoha. But the more and more he thought of it, the more he realised that perhaps he'd been looking at it wrong. He'd tried to think about approaching it from the top but Itachi knew the top was rotten to its core. It could not be helped. But the bottom was still struggling hard and they would be the ones working the hardest and gaining the least out of the coup. If they won and the Uchiha took control, nothing would change for them even though their lives had been in the most danger. Furthermore, they had far less pride as Uchiha and won't be supporting a suicidal coup. And if what Ayano was saying was true, the number of people who were resentful to the upper class for previous wrongs or otherwise dissatisfied in some way was high. Those who were outright hateful weren't enough but those who would benefit from a revamp of the leadership…

Immediately, Izumi popped into Itachi's mind. She didn't hate the clan and she felt some pride in being Uchiha, but she definitely wasn't satisfied with her lot in life. Her talents far outstripped her station of birth. There just needed to be one more incident, one more stress factor and a suggestion of a better life to push her over the edge. And Itachi could think of many fringe cases like that. People who just needed a little push and an idea for resentment to build.

Stirring up discontent within the Uchiha was startlingly easy the more and more Itachi thought of it. Akio, Ayano, Izumi, Shisui, Mother… he'd been surrounded all his life by the failings of the clan system but had just accepted that as fact, too preoccupied with the impossible task of saving the world to help these people right in front of him. He was powerless, he couldn't help them, it was just how things were… Itachi now recognised these rationalisations as excuses because he had power and he could help. He'd just needed a way and the first way, Michiko, had failed his clan.

If he could get Michiko on board and pitch her the idea, all would be set. He just needed to convince her that saving his clan was better than letting them die. If he could replace the leadership or get someone on his side to replace the leadership in the next few years, then perhaps he could change her mind. He could act outside of her knowledge, but not only would it be a betrayal far worse than refusing orders, it would certainly lead to a terrible fate for all those he cared for when she found out.

His clan wasn't hopeless. No, not yet. He would tear down all the previous notions of what it meant to be Uchiha and recreate it anew. This clan was dead.

* * *

Ayano hummed cheerily as she headed back home. She'd had a nice breakfast and chatted with some of the ninja. Everyone was really twitchy but most relaxed when talking to her and she'd learned quite a bit about Suna.

She knocked on the door and Akio let her in. She took a nice shower before going to the bedroom, shutting the door and plonking herself down on Akio's bed. Michiko was in the room on her bed with a bunch of books lying around her while she drew something.

"So how was it?" Michiko asked without looking up.

"Absolutely horrible! He's even slower and stupider than nii-san! He has no idea what the fuck is going on but he still thinks I'm dumb for not knowing about shit."

"How hard did you smack him for it?"

Ayano giggled. "Just a little love tap. He's gonna need a thousand more wake up slaps before he's ready to get up."

"What are the chances of Itachi coming into his own?"

"Shouldn't you know that already?"

"I'm far better at breaking people than fixing them. I do not understand him."

"Ya still love him, don't you?"

"..."

"Why do the two of you get 50% dumber when it comes to each other? Whatever. He's not gonna be normal but I think getting him to not wanna off himself is doable."

"If you would."

Ayano grinned. "No worries! I'll take care of your kitten for you!"

"Get whatever you can out of him."

"Okay!"

* * *

During his lunch break, Itachi quickly sped back to the residence. Upon entering, Ayano greeted him as if nothing had happened and Akio ignored him as usual. He went into the bedroom and closed the door behind. Michiko was still in bed, typing away at her handheld furiously.

He got down on one knee. "Michiko-hime."

Michiko didn't look up. "Anytime I give you a mission that involves any interaction with people, you just have to mess it up."

Itachi got down on both knees and prostrated himself before her. "I failed to heed your advice. I have no excuses."

Michiko sighed. "I didn't expect much out of you anyway. Teaching is rather tough. Prepare your lessons in advance and do not assume Ayano's current abilities. For now, Akio has informed me that your housekeeping skills are non-existent. You are to cook all of your own meals and do your own laundry by hand from now until your appointment in Suna is over. No take-out, no accepting any food from anyone and you must eat as much as usual unless the situation is important or an emergency."

That… that was all? It hurt Itachi's pride a little that Michiko hadn't been expecting much from him but even so, he'd expected to be starved for a week at least. This was suspiciously light.

"Thank you for your leniency."

"Your lunch break isn't long. Go now."

"Michiko-hime, I was thinking of encouraging the lesser Uchiha to rebel."

Michiko didn't seem particularly affected by his suggestion. "Whether it succeeds or fails, it'll give Konoha a perfect excuse to take the police force away from them and their attitude towards the Uchiha won't change. Either way, it'll buy time if nothing else and many of the lower classes resent being trapped in the police force. If it succeeds, it'll probably open the clan up a bit more and there's a good chance of saving them with a little manoeuvering."

Itachi waited for a while before hesitantly pestering for more. "However?"

"Itachi, do you plan on taking down the clan system?"

"No."

"The animosity towards the Uchiha is mostly manufactured. Regardless of what time you're in, all governments need a convenient scapegoat to redirect hate and the Uchiha have been it for the past century. There's always going to be a group that's easy for everyone to hate on and people are going to latch onto that. Even if the Uchiha's use as scapegoats is running out, something else will step up to take their place. Different times have different villains. The integration of civilian ninja into the forces and the rise of clanless ninja like Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato inspire the common ranks. As we move into a more liberal society, the next target will be the conservative clans. Discontent amongst the lower classes is boiling in strict clans like the Hyuuga. The Uchiha of all clans rebelling and succeeding has a good chance of setting another one off. If that succeeds, more and more will join in and the entire Konoha ninja force will be in upheaval. We would have anywhere between 10-30% of our forces involved in a clan uprising. We can't afford that now."

So the Uchiha would have to grit their teeth and take the fall once more. And it would be their last no matter what they chose. Konoha could survive a single clan's reformation but only if all the other major clans didn't move and Itachi couldn't figure out how to do that. He had no contacts with any other clans and couldn't influence them.

"I understand."

Itachi stood to go make his lunch but Michiko halted him again.

"Itachi, this chain of rebellions can be delayed but it is inevitable. The discontent was on the horizon from Konoha's conception. I plan to pull the pin on that grenade myself after the world has settled down a little more."

Itachi waited for a little while and left when it was clear Michiko had nothing else to say. Inwardly though, he was shaken.

He didn't know what 'pull the pin on that grenade' meant but since the grenade seal was an explosive, he guessed it meant setting off the explosive. If that was true, then if he could just delay the clan for long enough until Michiko completed her mission, if he could maintain control over them and present them to Michiko, then maybe, just maybe, his clan could be saved.

* * *

Akio pondered on what to make for dinner. He didn't have to cook for the bastard anymore and Michiko was sick. He could just make porridge but Ayano was here and he wanted to show off to treat her a little.

"Ayano, what do you want for dinner?"

"Oh, I actually made plans to have dinner with someone at-" Ayano glanced at the clock. "-fuck me silly, it's already 5.30! I'm gonna get going. Bye!"

"Language! And who are you-"

Ayano put on her shoes and dashed out of the apartment, leaving the door half closed. Akio contemplated going after her to see who she was with. It was a foreign ninja village. She could've been tricked by someone dangerous and there was a rise in crime and no doubt child traffickers after the invasion. Akio had almost insisted that she stay around them or in the apartment 24/7 where there would be ANBU or barriers but Michiko and Ayano had talked him down.

Akio struggled with himself for a while before Shisui's face flashed before him and he shuddered. He was not going down that path. That problem put aside, he still had to figure out what to have for dinner. Maybe fried rice and miso soup?

Akio walked into the bedroom to ask for Michiko's opinion only to find her staring aimlessly out the window. To see Michiko doing nothing but thinking was a rare sight and Akio stopped at the doorway.

"Akio, do you think I should save the Uchiha?"

Michiko consulting him meant that there were emotions involved. For the millionth time, Akio cursed Itachi. "What's at stake?"

"I could gain control of one of the founding clans. Itachi and Ayano can handle most of the work. I wouldn't have to do much and for the work on my part, I stand to gain a fair bit. My main concern is having a bunch of loose sharingan lying around but I could create a seal for that. There's plenty of research on bloodline protection seals and taking one and modifying it a little for the Uchiha shouldn't take too long. Maybe two months alongside a couple other things."

Two months was long for Michiko and Akio knew she'd been struggling with this question since day 1. What made her revisit it again? "You want me to tell you not to, right?"

"... Yes."

"This thing has already caused you so much pain. Even if you try now, it's- it's probably too late for you and Itachi. Itachi's just too dumb. I don't think he'll be able to see your good side."

"... You're right. As it stands, the advantages are not worth it."

* * *

"Hi-hi!"

Ryosei turned to see Ayano waving at him. They were at a bar but Ayano had walked in with a Konoha-esque sunshine smile and no one really cared if a kid had drinks at this point. This bar served soda and some finger food so Ayano should be fine.

"Ayano-chan."

Ayano sat opposite him. "How rya holdin' up?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

Ayano beamed back sparkling rays of pure joy. "Just a feeling! So what's this about my brother?"

"You know he likes another girl, right?"

"Obviously! Who doesn't? He's been making googly eyes at Michiko-shishou since like, month 3."

Ryosei coughed. He hadn't expected the little girl to notice but then again, she was a ninja in training. This could still work. "You know what like-liking someone is, right?"

"Duh! It means ya wanna fuck 'em, right?"

Ryosei choked. Unfortunately, Ayano insisted on shouting everything she said so the entire bar was staring at him suspiciously now. "Erm… well, erm… yes but you erm… how… d'you know that?"

"Nii-san sucks at hiding his porn!"

"I… I see. But erm er… you know what being 'together' means, right?"

"Yep!"

"That means your brother will be spending a lot of time with another girl."

"Yep!"

"Alone. In private."

"Yep!"

"Without you."

"Yep!"

Ryosei frowned. He wasn't sure whether she was just innocent or slow on the uptake. No matter, that could be used to his advantage. "Didn't you say you missed your brother?"

"Well, yeah but being by myself is nice too. Nii-san can be really anal about who I'm friends with."

They had the attention of the entire bar now and Ryosei really didn't want to talk about Michiko and the incident in public. "Well, um… that's great, I guess. Do you want to go somewhere private?"

"Like where?"

"My place?"

Ayano frowned. "Nii-san told me to never go home with strangers."

"But we're not strangers, are we? We're friends."

Ayano tilted her head in consideration. "I dunno. Something about this just makes me feel a little weird. Gai-sensei told me to follow my gut."

Gai-sensei?! Holy shit, how well connected was this little girl?! She knew Maito Gai, Sarutobi Asuma and even Hatake fucking Kakashi! He'd stumbled upon a gold mine and Ryosei was not going to let go. It won't be long before the ANBU concluded it was him. He'd already been questioned and he knew he was suspicious. The only reason they hadn't arrested him was because they needed Michiko's permission to examine the calculator and Michiko was waiting on Konoha's approval. Not that she really needed to since it wasn't Konoha property, but it was a just in case measure. After the approval came through, he'd have a day at most for the lab results to come back and implicate him. But if he could just get Ayano to talk to Michiko first…

"Well, it doesn't have to be my place. It's just a bit uncomfortable to have everyone staring."

Ayano smiled. "Okay! Let's go!"

Ryosei paid for his drinks and they left, well aware of the suspicious stares coming from the bar's patrons. They walked slowly to a more deserted part of the village with Ryosei treating Ayano to plenty of street food along the way while trying to extract what little info he could out of her.

"So what does she teach you?"

"Oh, Michiko-shishou?" Ayano said while tearing into her cotton candy and alternating that with her ice cream. Her mouth was covered in cream and sugar with wisps of cotton candy stuck to her mouth. "How to spot idiots and how to deal with them."

"What about jutsu?"

"Oh, that? Yeah, I suck at that real hard. I'm only good at splitting skulls, cracking eggs into their brains and then fryin' them."

Jeez. What was Konoha teaching their kids these days? Ryosei prayed that Ayano wasn't aware of the cannibalistic connotations. "Then what does she teach you?"

Ayano frowned. "I already told ya."

"Wait, is that really all?"

"Well, she does teach other things. Like how to reform pig-headed sexist men and how to castrate someone with a rusty nail file without taking a goddamn week but most of the rest is a secret."

Ryosei was suddenly a little uneasy around this little girl. So she had connections with many jounin who likely wanted to protect her, had extremely vulgar sensibilities which would trigger many important people and now she casually revealed that Michiko was training her to be a sort of mini-me? Who the fuck was this girl?

"Could you not say that so loud? People might hear you."

"So?"

"They'll think you're weird."

"So?"

"Look kid, this isn't Konoha. You can't just do what you want here."

"Why?"

"Suna isn't like Konoha. I don't know what's going on there but people aren't just going to accept you like that. You've got to respect the culture and traditions of the land you're visiting."

"So talking loudly is taboo?" Ayano seemed surprised as she glanced around the small street. "I mean, people aren't as loud as back in Konoha but they're not super quiet. I don't think anyone cares about us now."

"You still don't have to yell and disturb people. Like back at the bar. Just use your indoor voice."

Ayano frowned. "Yeah but my indoor voice is shitty. It sounds really soft and weird. No way anyone's gonna hear it in a bar."

"Don't you have a medium voice?"

"Nope!"

"Maybe you could make one?"

Ayano shrugged. "Maybe."

Ryosei sighed. Whatever, she was just a kid. He wasn't her guardian. She'd learn eventually. "Anyhow, are you close to Nara-san?"

"Not really. We're just friends."

"Even though you call her 'shishou'?"

Ayano laughed. "I dunno. It just stuck. She taught me all the important ninja life stuff so I can handle people."

Ryosei didn't like the sound of that. He slowly manoeuvred her to the side of the street and walked through a little maze of alleyways until he got to one that seemed deserted enough.

"Your teacher is rather scary."

Ayano giggled. "Scary's cuttin' her quite some slack, ya know?"

"Yeah… and I happened to piss her off."

"Ooooo! What'ju do?"

"I… spilt a drink on something super important."

"Like her books?"

"No. Much worse."

"A crazy hard and dangerous seal?"

"Getting there. But I really can't tell you."

Ayano whistled. "Aww, you poor bastard. Must've been a super expensive, time savin', efficiency-inducing something then."

"Something like that. You think you could help me? Maybe talk to her a little and calm her down?"

Ayano thought long and hard for a few seconds, her smile temporarily melting of her chubby face. "I dunno… I don't know enough and if it's super top secret then I'll probably get you in trouble. But she didn't seem angry at all to me. She seemed quite happy."

"She's good at hiding her emotions."

Ayano shook her head. "No, no. She was happy. If she's pissed, she lets everyone know. She's not like Mr. Blank Face."

"But there's no way she's not mad at me."

"I guess. If what ya're saying is true, she should be busy creating your personal mini gate to hell. But she's been curled in her bed reading books. Maybe she's brushing up on torture seals as a free*** gift to Suna?"

"I hope not. I don't think they'll torture me but I'm afraid they'll kick me from the forces or I'll be permanently genin."

"Pft. If you reeeeeeeally pissed her off, you've got far worse stuff to worry about. Got any family or close friends?"

Ryosei winced. "My mum's in the hospital so I doubt she'd go for her. My little sister's on an overseas mission but I have a civilian girlfriend."

"Michiko-shishou doesn't seem too mad so you probably won't have to break up or send her away."

"Why are you friends with her?"

"I admire her."

"But why?"

"Mostly cause it's like watching a thousand monkeys getting their skulls cut open while they're struggling and then their brains getting eaten. It's horrible and cruel but the chef's knife skills are to die for."

"You'd watch a thousand monkeys get eaten alive and you focus on the chef's knife skills?!"

"Well, what else can I do? Stop her? Eating monkey brains is legal, you know."

"Wait, that's a thing people do?"

"Yeah."

"This is still fucked up."

Ayano shrugged. "Life's unfair. What's new? Bad guys can do amazing things and the purest of souls can be dogshit at their job and make everyone miserable. Stuff happens sometimes."

"So you admire her craft?"

"Yeah."

"What about her personality?"

"She's fucked up, but ain't everyone?"

Ryosei sighed. "I suppose she's quite tame when compared some of the wartime veterans. She is just a kid though so I'm not sure what's going to happen later on. Can you help me?"

"I dunno…"

Ryosei grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Ayano-chan, I might die. My family might die. My girlfriend might die. I know I messed up, but I don't think spilling a drink should net me a death penalty and my family doesn't deserve this. I need your help."

"What exactly do you expect me to do? I'm no miracle worker, ya know."

"You're friends with her and you have friends back in Konoha. Talk to them. I don't expect you to clear me of all charges, just talk to her and convince her not to harm my family and just accept whatever punishment Suna deems appropriate. If you could get her to cancel the debt I owe her or at least tone down the interest, that'd be great."

Ayano squirmed a bit. "You know it's kinda impossible to change her mind, right? Especially if she feels for it?"

"Look, you have leverage. She and your brother are getting together or they will be soon. Your brother loves you a lot but he's going to be with her more. Take this opportunity to spend time with him. Just pretend to be really upset at what she's going to do and your brother can talk her down. If she doesn't listen, then you can hog up your brother's time and prevent them from being together. You get to spend more time with him, you can show Nara-san your power over your brother and you can use it in the future as well."

"That's… not gonna work. At all. No one's gonna be fooled."

"Why not?"

"Their business is their business. I don't like messing with it. Michiko-shishou knows I know she's no rainbow farting unicorn so she ain't gonna be convinced that I'm upset at all."

"Is it not worth a try?"

"They've been through enough. I'm not riskin' their relationship for such a dumb plan."

Ryosei had always thought Konoha ninja to be extremely sheltered and innocent so what the fuck was up with this girl! "My life is on the line!"

Ayano squirmed under his grasp. "I could talk to her about it but if it's super top secret, it might just mean she has more ammo, ya know."

"Ammo?"

"Oh, bullets. For guns."

"I didn't tell you anything important anyway."

Ayano tried to push him away lightly but Ryosei didn't let go. "Look, I don't think there's much I can do. You're panicking. You fucked up big time, but Michiko-shishou doesn't seem too mad. She'll probably just go after you, not your family. I won't tell anyone, just let me go."

"You think she isn't mad? How's that even possible?! Don't try and tell me she's not going extract vengeance. I've been watching her since she came and I know she's the type of person who won't hesitate to slaughter an entire clan over spilt milk!"

Ayano frowned and started to push harder against Ryosei's grip. "You've got the wrong idea. She goes crazy sometimes but she ain't going out of her way over little stuff. Maybe when she's pissed and it's not much effort but she's not pissed, okay? Calm down."

"She slaughtered all those genin because Konoha might've suggested it was a good idea!"

"Yeah. Pretty horrible. Isn't that every ninja ever though? Lots of my friends would do the same."

"What company do you keep?!"

"Oh, ANBU nutjobs, hospital medics, clan supremacists, gate guards, suicidal prostitutes, bartenders, the training ground cleanup crew, the T&I, the- well, basically everyone, really."

"You-you-" Ryosei took a deep breath. Clearly, this girl had no standards when it came to friends. She'd piss off the wrong person someday. "If you're friends with so many people, couldn't you talk to one of them?"

Ayano sighed. "Okay, so ya're clearly not getting the message. Ryosei-san, we met yesterday and have spent like 3 hours together. You're not a bad guy and I don't think you did it to be mean but why should I go and beg my really busy friends to pull favours cause you're panicking and overreacting? Michiko-shishou is probably pissed but if she ain't pissed enough to be a complete grouch, she ain't pissed enough to find a way to torture you for life or hunt down and kill your family. Ya fucked up and ya pay for it. The end."

"But there's a chance! Just help me out!"

"I'm not dumb, okay? I knew you wanted somethin' from me, everyone does. So I tried my damned hardest to make it clear that I ain't no precious little girl who'd help every goddamned stranger out of the goodness of my pure soul or some crappy romantic bullshit like that. I'm not a kind, sweet Konoha summer child and I ain't gonna take being treated like one. You come along, trying to sweet talk a kid into pulling favours for you with candy and emotional blackmail and somehow I'm the bad guy here? You preach to me, talk down to me and then demand I help because, I dunno, I guess I just have to right? All Konoha kids are cute and innocent and completely gullible! You get constantly surprised that I don't fit the mould but somehow your brain doesn't think that there's somethin' different about me and now you're completely floored that I ain't helping you. Well screw you! You fucked up, you pay for it. I don't owe you anythin' and you're not entitled to anythin'. I don't see why I have to take the fall for your fuck ups. This's none of my business an' I ain't gonna get involved. Now let go or I will scream."

"This isn't some puny little debt, it's millions! If I get kicked, I can't find a job with Suna like this! I'll be paying for the rest of my life! Is spilling a drink really such a big deal? I have a few friends, okay? I'll introduce you! You'll have contacts in Suna as well!"

Ayano scowled. "I'm not Nara Michiko. I actually make friends cause I like havin' friends, ya know. Don't go castin' moulds on me now, Ryosei-san. Go beg her yourself if you're so desperate."

"So you act like you're a grown-up little kunoichi but you refuse to make contacts when you can?"

Ayano launched herself backwards with surprising force but Ryosei attached chakra strings to her, pulling her back against his chest. Ayano struggled even harder and opened her mouth to scream. Ryosei moved to cover her mouth and her scream was muffled. He bound her tighter with more chakra strings. She twisted her hands to her sides and Ryosei reached down to prevent her from stabbing him with a kunai. A little popping explosive noise ensured and a burning pain pierced through his thigh. He instinctively jumped away. Ayano wasn't holding a kunai, but rather one of those civilian projectile weapons, a gun. She gave a scream and back away as fast as she could, training her gun on him. Ryosei cursed and back away only to find that his escape routes were blocked by ANBU.

Ryosei had just enough time to realise just how much he'd fucked up before the ANBU knocked him out.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Kinda getting a little bored and will be getting busier so I'm going to move things along quicker. It's been snail's pace so far. I'm thinking of cutting some parts and just leaving it in the background while scattering enough hints that you'll get what's going on. Like the arc on civilian politics where Mori Kiyomi takes over, the arc on Itachi's personal family life and another arc where Shisui gets royally screwed over by a girl. Kinda nice to write but probably not as interesting as the main stuff. i really don't want to drag too much but I just can't help myself sometimes. Like how I have to make fun of something every other scene. I've already had to cut lots of stuff to keep this from dragging on forever. If I started off with Michiko's full backstory and from when she was born, we would've had a great arc on Danzo but we wouldn't even be at the academy graduation point. So I just left enough of the backstory for readers to grasp and it's better this way. My pacing's pretty horrendous so I hope you get why I'm cutting.


	38. Chapter 38

Itachi got back half an hour earlier than usual to find a very different scene. Michiko had finally come out of her unsettlingly happy bubble and seemed somewhat irritated. She had a few scrolls and books opened out before her and was writing some really squiggly lines that looked like an advanced code. Ayano was munching happily on an array of goodies and cleaning her gun before dinner right in front of Akio, who was scowling fiercely and slamming his pots down as he cooked.

Tension hiked as Itachi entered the apartment. Ayano waved cheerily at him, acting oblivious to the thick air between him and Akio.

"Welcome back! Nii-san's using the kitchen so ya'll have to wait."

"I understand. I actually wanted to talk to you a little in private."

Akio's head snapped to him. "No. If you're going to talk, you will talk here."

"I believe that will be Kouru-san's choice to make."

"No. I'm her older brother. I'm her guardian. If I say you'll talk outside, you talk outside."

"Nii-san, calm down. You're overreact-"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! A ninja from an allied village just tried to kidnap and strangle you and you want me to calm down?!"

"Ryosei-san didn't want to hurt me. He just panicked. Anyone with a million ryo debt will panic."

"What if he killed you by accident when he was panicking?! Is that okay just because he's panicking? Of course fucking not! I don't care if he owes one ryo or one billion ryo, it's not an excuse!"

"Akio, it's just Itachi. Do you really think he'd do anything?"

"I don't know why he wants to talk to her! Who knows what brainwashing he could get done!"

Michiko gave him a deadpan stare. "Really? Itachi can't even sort himself out, you think he's capable of brainwashing someone?"

"You never know!"

"Nii-san, I'll be fine. I'll be careful."

"That's what you said and look what happened to you!"

"Exactly! I'm fine!"

"You got strangled!"

"Not really. You're exaggerating."

"This is about your health and safety! Take it more seriously!"

"That doesn't sound very fun."

"It's not all about fun and games! It's dangerous out there! You're in a foreign country! You can't just have dinner with random strangers, follow them into deserted alleyways and expect everything to be fine!"

"Okay, okay. I'll make sure to have dinner in public restaurants with at least three other people around."

"No! You're staying here!"

"Here? As in, the apartment!"

"Yes!"

"All the time?"

"Yes!"

"24/7?"

"Of course!"

"Then I might as well stay in Konoha! What's the point in coming over if I'm going to be cooped up in my room!"

"Actually, that's a great idea! Pack your stuff up, I'm going to arrange a Konoha team to escort you back to Konoha tomorrow."

"What?!"

"Suna is clearly too dangerous! Being around Michiko-chan is a bad idea anyway."

"But I wanna see Suna!"

"You can do sightseeing later when everything's blown over. Preferably under escort. Definitely under jounin escort and no longer than a week."

"But that's why I came! There's no time like now! You only get the full experience when shit goes down!"

"Why am I surrounded with suicidal idiots? Do you guys have no concern for your lives? Why on earth do you insist on getting into the most danger possible?"

"I'm not gonna live my life under a fucking rock ever again! I don't give a shit if my life's cut in half as long as I'm havin' ten times the fun!"

"You are seven! If something happens to you now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life! It's not all about fun! What if you got seriously hurt? What if you couldn't do taijutsu anymore or run around? What fun would that be? If you can't control yourself, I'm going to hire a nanny to look after you."

"What? No!"

"I only let you do what you want because Michiko-chan said you'd be fine and protected! But if this is your attitude, then this can't keep going on. What exactly do you plan on doing when you grow up?"

Ayano shrugged. "Maybe I'll be a waitress at one of those cute cafes."

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Just for a few months!"

"NO!"

"I don't wanna stick to one thing! All jobs have different stuff going for them!"

"NO! No, no, no, no, no! There are some things you do not need to experience!"

"I'm not dumb, nii-san. I know what the stuff's about. Some of my friends work there and I just wanna see what they go through, okay?"

"You're friends with prostitutes?!"

Akio clamped his mouth shut when he realised what he just uttered. Ayano puffed out her cheeks and looked very irritated. "They're waitress who wear frilly fetish dresses, miniskirts and low-cut blouses for tips. There's a difference, ya know. But yes, I'm also friends with prostitutes."

Akio turned to Michiko accusingly. "You said she'd be in good company!"

"Maito Gai is a very good judge of character. He has no concept of privacy or personal space and he cares greatly for all those around him. If he deems the company Ayano keeps as good, I see no reason to dispute it when I haven't even seen her friends firsthand."

"But-but-but that means she's hanging out in those sort of areas!"

"If you're afraid of her getting corrupted or influenced, you're several years too late. She's getting to the age where her neighbourhood has little impact on her adulthood. I don't see how the occupation of Ayano's friends automatically means they are bad people."

"Yeah, Michiko-shishou's mum was a prostitute, ya know. And she's the nicest person ever! She let us all stay over for months when we needed a place."

"But that's different!"

"How?"

"I don't know them!"

"That's sorta the point I'm tryin' ta make, ya know. This's really rich comin' from you. It's not like your only friend is the second coming of rikudou sennin."

"Fine then! I'll go over and see for myself!"

"What about Michiko-shishou?"

Akio hesitated and turned to Michiko. Michiko didn't look up. "It's not just my decision anymore. You are officially assigned to me for an indeterminate amount of time and you're paid for it. I'm not authorised to let you take leave whenever you want and it's highly unlikely a request of leave would be approved right now. You'll have to wait until the project is over before you can think about going back to Konoha."

There was a short period of silence as Akio mulled over his options. "I'm sending you to school."

"What?"

"You can't keep going on like this! You can't hop around jobs and expect to get good pay for rent and food! You're not going to mooch off Aina-san forever, right? I thought you were going to get a teaching job or at least be a freelance bodyguard but apparently, you have different ideas."

"But I don't wanna be a ninja!"

"Of course you're not going to the Academy!"

"Wait, you mean civilian school?"

"Yes!"

"The Academy's about punching shit but civilian schools are full of books! How the fuck am I supposed to pass when I can't read the front cover of the textbook!"

"That's why you need to go to school! How are you going to find a job if you can't read! Even bodyguard jobs have contracts!"

"But that's preschool shit! I don't need to learn what a circle is!"

"Language!"

"That's not the fucking point! You swear too! Where do you think I learned it from?"

"Th-that's different!"

"How!"

"'Cause you're a little girl! Kids aren't supposed to swear!"

Ayano started to get a little worked up at this point as she made an effort to soften her voice. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, I am not an airheaded ball of fluff that bounces on with no clue on what goes on in the world. It's too late now, nii-san. Accept it and move on."

"Just because you're not perfect doesn't mean you can't get better! You don't need to hang around those sorts of people!"

"My friends are fine just the way they are. You of all people shouldn't be looking down on them just because they're lower class."

"I don't know whether they're fine! I don't want you doing drugs or ending up like that! You should be going to school and getting a stable job! Not running all over the place and making friends with prostitutes and psychos!"

"Well I'm not going to abandon my friends just cause you think they might be horrible. How would you feel if Michiko-shishou abandoned you? Some of these people only have me as a friend! Imagine how they'd feel if I left them because of their job?"

"I don't care about them, I care about you! Find them another friend and tell them you have school or something!"

Ayano ground her teeth audibly and Michiko decided to step in. "How about a compromise?"

Akio was skeptical but willing to listen. "What sort of compromise are we talking about?"

"If Ayano were to go to school, she'd be kicked out within the month and that's if she doesn't try to get the school to expel her. She will struggle both due to her lack of basic education and her general attitude. She isn't suited for the regimented life of civilian school and will refuse to do absolutely anything that she disagrees with. You make enough money to afford a good private tutor so I suggest finding one to brush up her basic literacy. I believe the most elementary examination requires language, maths, history and geography. How are you in these subjects?"

"Well, I took care of the money back when we were still with the Uchiha so my math's okay. I need the abacus though. Gai-sensei taught me a little geography and I wanna travel everywhere so that'd be great. I know nothing about history and I dunno if I like it. Everyone's all 'Let's suck Hashirama's dick!' so yeah."

"You always have to be careful about your sources in history regardless. How do you feel about language?"

"Kanji sucks balls."

"And it can take you to places you'll never go."

At this, Ayano cocked her head and thought. "I guess. Not knowing how to read is super inconvenient."

"As you can see, Akio, Ayano is perfectly willing to learn and is merely opposed to the idea of school. A private tutor will be able to cater to her better and she will still be able to get a basic qualification. It's a much better arrangement than formal schooling for the both of you."

Akio didn't seem against it. "But how would I know if the teacher is good?"

"Aina can handle that. She didn't want me in the ninja academy and did research on the curriculum."

"What about her friends?"

"There's nothing wrong with my friends."

"Well-"

Michiko interrupted. "That can be left for when we return to Konoha."

"But-"

"In the meantime, Ayano will make a list of her friends and hand it over to me. I'll send it to someone to get a rundown of their criminal histories."

Neither of them looked too pleased with this. "But what about her bad habits?"

Ayano scowled, looking markedly similar to Akio. "Like making friends, helping people and not being a dick?"

Akio glared. "What are you trying to say about me?"

"If you can comment on my bad habits and friends, I don't see why I have to hold back."

"I'm your older brother!"

"So? You're not allowed to tell me what's right and wrong. I'm not your doll, I'm my own person and that's something only I get to decide!"

"You're seven!"

"And? Uchiha-san's the same age and he's in the gutter because he can't do any of that."

"It's different! He has to but you don't! You should be enjoying your childhood!"

"My childhood's already gone. Quit trying to protect something that doesn't exist."

"So you think you're an adult and you can do whatever you want? Do you have a job and make your own money? Can you support yourself? No? Then you don't get to decide that!"

"Are you really trying to say I can't have my opinions just because I don't have a job? Are you saying that all housewives should be pretty little dolls and obey their husbands unconditionally?"

"No, you can't decide for yourself because you're seven! Seven-year-olds make shi- horrible decisions. I'm your guardian and if I say you need to go to school and make proper friends, then you will do it."

"No I don't. I'll get myself expelled from every single school and I'll refuse to eat until you stop."

"Once you're starving, you'll come around."

"No. I will die before I submit to you or anyone."

"You're only saying that because you don't understand what it's like!"

"Fine. I won't eat until you come around."

The two of them glared silently at each other, refusing to back down. Michiko sighed and turned a page. Itachi shifted awkwardly and waited for 20 seconds before speaking up.

"Kouru-san, may I speak with you?"

Ayano's face returned to usual before she beamed back at him. "Sure!"

Akio was about to argue but Michiko interrupted. "I'll go in. Besides, you said she'd give up when she was starving."

Akio opened and closed himself for a few moments before he huffed and returned to cooking. Ayano took her lollipop out of her mouth and rewrapped it before heading to the bedroom. Itachi and Michiko followed.

"So what d'ya wanna talk about?"

"Regarding your friend, I would like to help her. Could you give me more information about her situation?"

Ayano smiled. "Okay! What d'you wanna know?"

Itachi was somewhat surprised at Ayano's willingness to divulge information regarding her friend and sudden switch in mood. Did rapid mood swings run in the family?"

"What are her working conditions like?"

"She works at that super high-class whore house for people who wanna bang hot clan women. You know the one?"

"I am unfamiliar with the sex industry."

"It's called Shiori's Blessing. It's basically where all the clans dump their women off for punishment. It's super high-class and pricey and there's all sorts of sperm control and shit that ya have ta do but it's one of those places where it's okay for high-class clan men. There's poetry and massages and other shit but they mostly fuck. The women don't get any money because it goes to the person who sent them there. It's in the contract and everything so it's legal. Depending on the clan, it'll go to the dad or the clan. In Keiko's case, it's the clan. There's pretty strict rules on everything so there's no drugs and the high-class customers usually go to backstreet whore houses for in they've got gross fetishes. Nothing really bad about it except pretty much all of the women were contracted without much choice."

Itachi didn't understand how something so distasteful could be considered acceptable but if all the major clans were involved, it was undoubtedly completely clean legally. There was nothing much one could do about it from the government's side. If they were unwilling though, Itachi felt like he had to give them a way out, especially since his clan were involved in the practice.

"If something were to happen that compromised the women's safety, how would the clans react?"

"If it's something small and nothing's really happened, it'd probably be a short 'hey, get your shit together' notice. They don't want everyone to remember that they have disgraceful women down there. If it's someone got seriously hurt, it would be a private agreement to get for some money. If a ton of them got killed or there's some kekkei genkai leak, ya bet they'd be throwing about lawsuits and kicking up a huge fuss."

"Are there any married women in there?"

"Hmm… not really. I mean, if they cheat, they get divorced before being sent down there and they leave before they get married. If it's a large enough scandal that a married woman is sent down, then the husband would probably leave her so I guess it's a no. But there's some that have gotten married."

"How important are those women within their clans?"

"Well, not all of them are from clans but ya gotta be really good to get in. They're mostly low middle class. It's rare for a girl like Keiko to be in there, but there are quite a few higher class Hyuuga and Shimura in there."

Michiko, who had been staring out of the window this whole time, snapped up this piece of information. "Ayano, how many upper-class Shimura girls are in there?"

"Like 5 or so. Maybe 7 or 8."

"Would you say that's abnormally high?"

"I guess. There are very few high-class girls in there. Keiko's the only one from the Uchiha and the next largest would be 3 from the Hyuuga. Yeah, come to think of it, I think the Shimura make up like half the high-class girls."

"Any kekkei genkai scandals?"

"Hmm… I dunno, but I'm sure there are. Most of the girls still hope to get out one day and get married. I know a few who've tried to get around protection and get pregnant whenever they're with a guy from the same clan so they can get married to him. Some of the really low-class ones with no kekkei genkai try to go for civilians. They're mostly sent down there without a set time to get out and the only real way to get out is if you get married or the brothel kicks you out for being bad or being too old. If you're bad, the clan's gonna gouge your eyes out or something. If you're too old, you can't get married. Some become maids for higher classes but most live in a tiny room on the outskirts of the family estate or get booted to the poorest part of the clan compound and run errands."

Michiko's irritation vanished as a mirthful little smile played on her lips. "I'm sure we'll find some if we look into the Shimura girls."

Itachi knew Michiko had something planned now but at least this meant that Michiko would approve his intervention. He wasn't sure whether Ayano knew the full extent of their relationship so he merely dipped his head towards Michiko. "Thank you for your support."

Michiko giggled eerily. "But of course. Take Shisui with you. I'm sure he can gather up a few ANBU buddies to help him up."

"I plan to hold him responsible for his own actions."

"Ah, so he's the one who sent the girl down there. Did he knock her up and insist she abort it or something?"

It seemed as if Michiko didn't think very highly of his cousin either. Itachi wondered how far Shisui had fallen within the kunoichi community. If even Uchiha girls wouldn't entertain his advances, how was he ever going to get married? Perhaps by arranged marriage, but he had weaselled out of every contract the council tried to bind him to. Even then, Itachi assumed that he'd settle down eventually and stay with his wife but lately, he'd been having serious doubts regarding his cousin's ability to stay faithful or even respect his wife. Someone should have intervened long before Shisui started stalking women back to their homes and breaking into their houses.

"No, he slept with her and her friend informed her employer. Shisui was a patron at her cafe."

"That's it? I suppose he's not completely insane yet."

"She's had a history of sexual abuse."

Michiko shrugged. "If Shisui doesn't know, that piece of information is irrelevant in assessing his actions. So are you going to cook dinner before meeting him?"

"Wait, wait, wait, so how's a Shimura scandal gonna affect Keiko?"

Itachi knew Michiko didn't care about Keiko so she wasn't going to help him with that part. "With such a major security breach, an extensive investigation on the brothel will be opened up and all the workers will be cross examined. If even a rumour of her history floats around, it will be followed up, especially since it involves corruption in the police force. If they can get a single anonymous testimony from a police officer, her father can be taken in for questioning. With a little Yamanaka help, they will find the truth. The clan head would likely remove her from the brothel to prevent public backlash."

"If that happens, your dad is gonna be caught too, ya know. The police force is gonna be taken down fast."

"The clan head would likely be let off with little penalty. The clan's prestige will go down but I'm not sure if a single case of corruption will take down the police force."

"It might."

"No, I agree with Itachi. It will take more than that for the Hokage to take the police force away but he will order an internal investigation."

Ayano shrugged. "If ya say so. So I just have to spread a rumour?"

Itachi nodded. "Make sure they can't trace it back to her."

Ayano gave a wide grin and she rubbed her hand to gather maniacally. "Ooooooo, if that's the case, I have plenty of people to help and plenty of people to bring down."

Suddenly, with Ayano near the door and Michiko before the window, Itachi felt a little cornered.

* * *

Itachi meditated as he waited for Shisui to show up at their usual meeting place outside an indoor training ground. It was nightfall and the cousins usually had dinner together. It wasn't long before Shisui showed up.

"What's with the long face, Itachi?"

"Shisui. Can we have a talk?"

Shisui was briefly surprised and wary. "Sure. Here?"

"No. I was thinking we could go over to your lodgings."

"Oh, okay."

Itachi got up and the two cousins headed over to the apartment block. Shisui chattered on about his day and his horrible colleagues in an attempt to lighten things up while Itachi listened silently.

They arrived and Shisui locked the door. "So what's this about?"

"Do you know a Uchiha Keiko?"

"Well yeah, she's the only upper-class Uchiha girl I could persuade to do the dirty. Got banned from the cafe, but totally worth it."

"What do you know about her?"

"Well, she's quite pretty and her breasts are quite big for an Uchiha. I tried to get her little sister but that girl's pretty stubborn. I swear she tries to slam the door in my face every time I go to their house."

"Do you know why her little sister slams the door in your face?"

"Well, she doesn't. She's standardly polite but I get the feeling she's angry at me for some reason. Maybe she's jealous or something?"

"... Do you know where Uchiha Keiko works now?"

"So what's with this sudden interest in Keiko-chan?"

"Just answer the question."

Shisui seemed to understand that there was something serious going on so he replied. "Well, no. Why would I? She was kinda upset after we did it so I made a run for it. Protip: some women regret it after and kick up a fuss so it's best to leave and wait for a few weeks. But since she got me banned, I figured it's best not to go after her again. Besides, her sister's prettier and more challenging. I swear she's a little spitfire under the surface."

"She works in a brothel now."

Shisui seemed faintly surprised. "Oh. Well, that's unfortunate."

"Is that all you have to say about it?"

Shisui shrugged. "It's a pretty common punishment for loose clan women. I've slept with a few and if neither of us say anything, then there's no problem. They know the risks and they're willing so I don't see a problem. I even told her not to tell anyone but she did anyway. It's not my fault her dad found out. I mean, I'd rather it be okay for girls to sleep with whoever they want but it's not my job to change that."

"Did you dig up information about her beforehand?"

"Well, yeah. I chased her for two months. Yes, I know, illegal violation of privacy blah blah blah but it's just in case. Is this going to be another lecture?"

"You chased her for two months."

"Yeah."

"Am I right in assuming that she refused you many times?"

"Duh. How do you think you catch the best girls? You gotta be patient and persistent or they're never gonna give. Well, in Keiko-chan's case, she never gave me a straight answer but she kinda avoided me."

"She was raped repeatedly throughout her childhood by her father."

"... … … Wait WHAT?!"

"I thought you did your research."

"Yeah, but her records said nothing about that! I couldn't find her involved in any court cases! Her dad's a council member!"

"It was off the record. The clan head had it covered up. She was afraid that you would get her in further trouble."

"Then why did she tell her boss?!"

"She confided with a friend and said friend, presumably with good intentions, told her boss."

"B-b-but-but I didn't know of that! Wait, how do you know?"

"I think it would be best not to disclose it. I haven't confirmed this information myself but it is unlikely that the source is lying."

"... Oh. Okay. So that's… surprising. And bad. So what do you want to do about it?"

"... I should be asking you that question."

"I mean, it'd be great if we could help, but what can we do? I could take it up to the ANBU and have her dad arrested, but that would just make life worse for her because Fugaku-sama would think she tattled."

"There's an abnormal amount of Shimura girls. They make up around half the upper-class girls in the brothel."

"... Ah. Well, that's a problem. It's Shiori's, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll notify the Hokage and do the investigation myself. I wouldn't stop until I figure out why Danzou has been sending so many girls to Shiori's. I'll try and see if I can stir them to investigate Keiko-chan a bit."

"Her friend will be spreading rumours."

"I can work with that. Keiko-chan's pretty and from a good family. She'll get married easily even with the disgrace."

"I think you should think more careful about your sexual exploits."

"Fine, I'll start looking into their sexual history more."

"... I did not mean to imply that you should increase the scope of your stalking."

"No! This is great! This is the sort of thing you need to know before going in. That's why I do the research in the first place. I don't want to hit on a girl and realise she's into stabbing the shit out of her man two months in."

"If it takes you two months to get a courtship agreement, perhaps it's a sign that the two of you aren't compatible."

"Keiko-chan was just an outlier. I mostly aim for two weeks and then I either succeed or give up because most kunoichi try to stab me or file reports against me by then. Keiko-chan didn't so I assumed she was just playing hard to get."

"Taking no for an answer before they take legal or lethal action might be a wiser tactic."

"Nah, some girls just like being chased and there's no real way of knowing which it is until they try and get a restraining order. You'd be surprised how many girls actually like it!""

"A few might enjoy a more elaborate courtship but I believe the copious amounts of vandalism on your property reflects their opinion a little more accurately."

"Yeah, that's an unfortunate side effect of this tactic. But hey, it works! They get to vent their anger and I don't report to the police."

"I get the distinct impression that the disruption your tactics cause far outweighs any enjoyment it might bring. I suggest a switch in tactics."

"Like what?"

"You may like to contribute to the economy and general concord by taking a tour around the brothels to check for illegal practices."

"But that's different! That's-" Shisui blinked and pause for a second before grinning. "That's a great idea! I could dig up every single brothel in Konoha and try them all out! If I shut down the illegal ones, Hokage-sama and Fugaku-sama can't complain too much and I get to introduce everyone to the best brothels! Yeah, that sounds like an interesting mission!"

"I'm sure Suna would appreciate your help."

"And the good ideas just keep coming! I haven't been able to bang anyone since I came here!" Shisui frowned. "But I don't have much free time and I only usually spend it with you."

"I don't mind. I could use the time to improve my culinary skills."

"What's with this sudden interest in cooking?"

"Akio-san refuses to cook for me. I might as well make use of this opportunity."

"I'm sure you'll be better than him before you return. So are you going to make sandwiches again?"

"I believe my sandwiches to be sufficient. I've bought the ingredients for salad. Do you have any advice?"

Shisui scrunched his nose. "Blurgh. I hate salad. I've never made one. I think I'll go get takeout. You mind if I start doing reconnaissance?"

"No."

"Great! Then I'll see you tomorrow."

"Don't stay out too late."

Shisui left and Itachi set about making his cabbage salad. It wasn't anything fancy and only involved a little knife work and mixing everything together. Itachi mixed a leaf of cabbage, 6 strands of shredded carrots, one small chunk of salmon sashimi and mixed soya sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar separately. The first batch was done in under three minutes. Itachi wrapped the cabbage leaf around the carrots and sashimi and dipped it into the seasoning and took a small bite. Deciding that miso paste would make the seasoning better, he added it in bit by bit until he deemed it acceptable. Next, the sashimi had been too little and the overall proportion of seasoning to salad was off. He weighed the salmon and tried to cut off 10 grams of salmon from estimation. He cut off 10.2 grams but placed it within the cabbage leaf anyway.

Over the next twenty minutes, Itachi refined his recipe to the 0.05 grams until he deemed it passable and made his dinner, carefully plating the components in a manner that ensured every single bite had the same roughly proportion of cabbage, carrots, sashimi and seasoning to ensure consistency. By then, he wasn't hungry from all the taste testing he'd been doing so he made a half portion. It still didn't live up to his mother's recipe so he would have to inquire about it when he returned but at least he had achieved some sort of standard.

Overall, it was a rather productive day. He had found a temporary solution or at least inhibitor to Shisui's disruptive exploits, planned a potential coup, participated in a plan to slander/incriminate one of the largest political entities in Konoha, gained a tentative ally in Ayano, received a little of Michiko's approval and refined a recipe for an acceptable cabbage salad. If he could just replicate that success every week, then perhaps he wouldn't be such a failure.

* * *

*Author's Note:

I've been writing more recently and would like to revert to a weekly updates. It's unlikely but we'll see.

In other news, some authors decide to put their questions/interesting tidbits/personal touches in the end notes. I was thinking of doing something similar but am afraid that people will skip over author's notes in the future. But no venture, no gain. Please read the rest of the note as I'm going to explain how you could contribute to the early release of the next chapter.

I created this out of a fascination with media and how people like to represent reality in fiction. In anime, the eccentric characters' quirks are often endearing or played up for laughs. I have a few such habits and am rightfully treated as a general nuisance.

As is dominated by the western countries, their adoption of anime into their creations results in more western influences and 'asian' factors are cut out or misunderstood. Characters with 'western' ideas like personal liberty are heroes while the characters with 'asian' ideas change their views or are made into villains. Sometimes, it's simply canonically good characters expressing much more western views than they would've.

The author is usually unaware as the world they created takes these values for granted and accepts them as right. This translation is interesting to me. Whether it's 'good' is an argument of whether exclusion is better than misrepresentation. Questions with no answers are the most entertaining.

I am extremely curious as to how biased my writing is. I'd like my readers to attempt to describe me. If I get 20 reviews and/or PMs by next Saturday (23/9) that fulfills the following criteria, the next chapter will come a week early (23/9).

The description of me must be 40 words long or more. Basically two sentences. It's so people don't say 'i think your nice post more'. Unsubstantial 'words' or phrases like 'lol' or 'hahaha I dunno' to extend word count don't count. Repeat reviews from the same person don't count.

If you'd like the author's notes to have some details I was unable to cramp in, include it in the review. Let me know what you'd like to know, but I give no guarantees.

This story has had a great reception, considering how hard and confusing some people seem to find it. I can't look at the first chapters anymore but that's how it goes. I would like to know how many people are absolutely confused by my story and have no idea what's going on. Thank you for reading till the end of the author's note.


	39. Chapter 39

**Warning: This chapter is incomplete. Further explanation in the author's notes.**

Sarutobi Hiruzen was in his office smoking his pipe when the message arrived.

"How troublesome." He muttered as he scanned the wad of official letters, reports and other unsettling news. Hiruzen read the Kazekage's letter once again and then twice again before he reluctantly read the one from Michiko.

Hiruzen scanned the letters from Michiko, taking in the scale of her ambitions and accusations. She'd always been a troublemaker and a very good one at that. Raising alarms, revealing scandals and offending untouchables left and right, she was unorthodox but she produced results. She went where no one else would go without a shred of hesitation and thus solved problems the Konoha administration had been dragging their feet about. She was a little insubordinate, amoral and ruthless, a combination that made Hiruzen extremely wary but she'd only ever worked in Konoha's benefit. It was an advantage in a way as everyone assumed he had nothing to do with her actions. Shikaku had notified him that her actions probably didn't stem from a sense of loyalty but her contributions so far had been sizable and her requests were reasonable. Shisui complained about her whenever he could but given his biases, Hiruzen took his word with a grain of salt. If Michiko was going to take on so many personal risks for Konoha then as her Hokage, he would shield her where he could.

The assault on Kouru Ayano wouldn't a big affair. He knew the girl as Gai sometimes brought his little apprentice over. She was a tough little bugger and had plenty of potential. She was a good girl and while it was unfortunate that she refused to join the forces, a small part of Hiruzen was glad for it. He didn't want her cheerful smile to be dimmed by the ninja way and she boosted morale wherever she went so it was best she stayed the way she was. There was a disturbing paragraph that noted how she had conversed with the perpetrator about sex beforehand and he tried to lead her to a dark alley to restrain her, but it was overall unimportant to the situation. Ayano was fine.

The sabotage of equipment was far more pressing as there couldn't be any tensions between the two villages. The ninja responsible for both the assault and sabotage had been dishonourably discharged from the forces and sentenced to ten years of hard labour along with a 2.5 million ryo debt to Nara Michiko. The calculator belonged to her so Konoha wouldn't be seeing any reparations but the Kazekage had offered Kouru Ayano free lodgings for the duration of her stay as a show of goodwill. He wouldn't do this for an ordinary Konoha citizen but seeing as her teacher was Maito Gai, it was better safe than sorry.

Overall, the situation had been handled rather well before the notifications even reached him. Within her letter Michiko had also included a polite little paragraph stating, yes, she had arranged for a new calculator to be delivered within the week and no, she did not need a huge conditional loan from Konoha, thank you very much. Hiruzen gave a little chuckle at her attitude before he read the sobering second letter.

Hiruzen had visited Shiori's many a time in his younger days and there were few Shimura ladies there. If what Michiko was implying was true, then a second crackdown on Danzou's operations were in order. While a tiny part of him still hoped, he knew that Danzou needed to be defeated. If he, the Hokage, didn't act, Konoha's youth would take the fall once again.

He rang a bell and his secretary entered the office.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Get me Nara Shikaku."

"Urgently, sir?"

"Urgently."

His secretary nodded and swiftly walked out of the room. Normally, he would've called for the Head of ANBU straight away but he had promised Shikaku to consult him whenever Michiko was involved. A rather unusual request, but Shikaku insisted there was something wrong with her and if there was any brain he trusted more than his own, it would be Shikaku's.

Shikaku responded to his summons quickly and Hiruzen sent away his ANBU guard.

"Hokage-sama."

"Nara-san. Come, take a seat."

Shikaku sat before him. "Why do I get the feeling this has to do with Michiko?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "She seems to have her hand in all the latest gossip and scandals." He handed Michiko's letters to Shikaku.

He watched as Shikaku read the letters, his face shifting from amusement to exasperation and finally, resignation.

"Do you think she's gotten Uchiha Shisui on her side?" Hiruzen asked.

"Unlikely. Her plan isn't bad. Having him in a brothel would hardly be suspicious and out of all the trusted ANBU who wouldn't look out of place, he's the best. If he's already starting a sexual escapade in Suna, it would fit perfectly."

"How likely are her accusations to be true?"

"Given his history with Orochimaru and child experimentation, I'd say he's already acquired many kekkei genkai illegally. This is top priority. In fact, something like this should have happened ten, twenty years ago. We have to do this investigation in utmost secrecy."

Hiruzen sighed. As he expected. "Of course. And about this Uchiha Keiko…"

"The situation with the Uchiha is tenuous. If we can find proof, we could negotiate with the Uchiha. If they agree to give her a stipend and let her live peacefully, then we wouldn't press charges or at least keep it a quiet affair and leave the corruption of the police force outside of public knowledge. It would remind them that we're on the same side."

"That would be for the best." Hiruzen felt some sympathy for Keiko but her story was a common one. Setting off the Uchiha was far more detrimental to Konoha. "I will get Kakashi and Shisui to investigate. If they can't find anything, we will proceed from there." Normally, one of them would suffice but better safe than sorry when it came to Danzou. Kakashi occasionally patronised the brothels on his mandatory off-days. So long as he didn't visit too often, it won't be suspicious in the least.

"Any news on Kiri?" Shikaku asked.

"Nothing new. There's been a few more incidents of ninja inciting unrest and arming civilians but we haven't been able to break into the ranks of the revolutionaries."

Shikaku sighed. "I'm still not sure taking advantage of this uprising is a good idea."

Hiruzen smiled. "Michiko again?"

"Of course. If someone like Hatake Kakashi proposed the plan, then I'd be at ease but that girl…"

"I won't let her near Water. I know you have your doubts but I had Shisui, a Hyuuga, three Yamanaka and an Aburame in the ANBU guard when questioning her. She wasn't lying when she said her goal was world peace."

"I know, but something still doesn't line up about her. I hope my gut feeling is wrong. I don't want to get rid of Danzou only to give birth to a bigger monster."

"If you can place that gut feeling, come see me. For now, she has done nothing but work in Konoha's favour. It wouldn't do to discriminate against one of our own ninja on nothing but a gut reaction. I will let you know if she acts out in any way."

"I understand."

* * *

Itachi had taken to living in Shisui's apartment in order to avoid the warzone. Ayano continued to go out as if nothing happened and when Akio blew up, Ayano pretended he didn't exist. If Itachi were present, it somehow became about him and he'd get verbally assaulted. Rather than exacerbate the situation, Itachi had been granted permission to live with Shisui until Akio gave in, Ayano died of starvation or got taken in by child services. Given both their temperaments, Itachi got the feeling that Akio would give in, Ayano would eat and then Akio wouldn't follow through, creating an even bigger blow out.

Itachi didn't know why Michiko wasn't stepping in but that wasn't his business. For now, he only had a few ongoing missions to worry about and that included mastering how to cook chicken soup.

Shisui came out of the shower. He looked at Itachi sitting on the kitchen counter reading a cookbook while the broth boiled and chuckled, shaking his head. "You still at it? It's been like-" Shisui glanced at the clock. "- two hours! How long does it take to make soup?"

"This is batch 6. I'm in the refinement process."

Shisui walked up to the counter and took a sip of batch 5. "It's fine. Why are you fretting?"

"'Fine' is insufficient."

Shisui sighed. "Whatever. I'm going out again."

"See you later."

"I'll be back soon. Don't worry."

Batch 6 finished 267 seconds later and Itachi tasted it. A tad too salty but Shisui had a point. It was getting late and he had used up his self-allocated time for cooking. He took out the fresh rice from the rice cooker and placed it in the fridge. He had made his own dry seasoning mixture. Given how much chicken soup he'd made, he'd be having seasoned rice with chicken soup for the next two days, provided he didn't enlist Shisui's help. Perhaps he'd share it with his colleagues. He made acquaintances out of quite a few jounin, almost all of which were initiated by them. His nightly training sessions have become somewhat of a circus show, much to Itachi's discomfort. Perhaps the average ninja would be better.

With that in mind, Itachi packed all his chicken soup into various containers and went to bed. When he woke up, he heated the soup up and packed them into a scroll before meeting up with his team.

They had finished their previous mission and had been reassigned to the reconstruction of residences in the outskirts of Suna. They were to transport building materials and supervise the rebuilding. Any heavy-lifting was to be done by them and most of the ninja had skills that allowed that to replace machines. Itachi mainly wrapped chakra strings around construction beams and held them in place. Seeing the wonder and awe of civilians was a special bonus. Without seeing the chakra strings, it seemed as if the ninja were telepathically lifting concrete and steel into the air. He had a much smaller team today and the amount of materials they were to transport were a lot less even though the area they were to cover was far greater. They were assigned for 3 days and were to move on regardless of completion. Itachi suspected that there were fewer residents there and Suna was choosing to allocate their resources to more crucial areas.

Itachi met up with his team and they collected the materials and headed to the designated area after a short briefing. As they made their trips back and forth, Itachi was surprised to find not a small little community, but easily two or three hundred people milling about the streets. This was the slums. Itachi had never been to a slum before. His clan compound was far from other residences and the nearest areas were very respectable. The slums didn't have the money to hire genin for menial tasks and Itachi would never be posted to such a mission anyway.

It wasn't as bad as he had heard, but then again, they were in a hidden village, even if it was Suna. The buildings were decrepit and the streets were filled with trash. Suna didn't have the resources to maintain the buildings and majority of them looked in danger of collapsing. The water supply routes into the buildings had been damaged collaterally, leaving them without water for nearly 5 months. They'd travelling to the village center for water rations. The only reason ninja had been called in was that the people had recently given up on doing self-maintenance after so many months of lack of government aid. This meant that since their toilets didn't work, the street stunk of faeces, flies flew over the garbage lining the streets and the stench had overflowed into the nearest establishments.

Itachi could see how heavily demoralising the situation was for them, having to live in their own stink. The people seemed incredibly morose and were none too friendly towards the ninja. In turn, the ninja didn't seem to care much about the situation and Itachi doubted any of them actually planned to complete the project.

But he was in charge and he cared.

Itachi worked his team hard, making sure to reprimand them whenever they seemed like they were slipping. Most of them weren't particularly good ninja. They were replaceable and they knew it so no one dared to protest, even as they silently resented it. Itachi allowed them a half hour break for lunch and they immediately took off, none too interested in his offering of chicken soup.

Now Itachi had a whole pile of chicken soup and nothing to do with it. He sat down on the ground to eat and immediately became acutely aware of eyes zoning in on him, or more specifically his food.

This… is a great solution.

* * *

Shisui came back after visiting two brothels to find Itachi still up cooking. And he was cooking a lot of porridge.

"I'm back! So is your new obsession porridge? Why are you cooking so much?"

"Chicken porridge, Shisui. Chicken porridge is the answer."

"What?"

Itachi had his sharingan activated and was stirring the huge pot of porridge with intense concentration. "No need for concessions or manipulation or sneaking around. We just need porridge."

"Er… what are you talking about?"

"The clan. With Kouru-san. No one but the hardliners really want anything to happen but they're winning everyone over. We just need to win them back."

Ah. So chicken porridge was a metaphor. "So you want Aya-chin to win everyone over? That should be easy."

"Aya-chin?"

"Ayano-chan."

Itachi made a mildly bewildered face. "I know. But I didn't know the two of you were close."

Shisui grinned. "She's a sweet girl. She punches shit, swears beautifully, is upbeat yet not criminally insane. We've been hanging out a bit lately. If only she were ten years older."

"… I've been talking to her a little as well. The divide between the top 5% and the rest is huge, kept together only by a sense of honour and duty. She has many friends amongst the lower ranks. If she can win them over, we would essentially have two clans under the same name."

"But you know what would happen if a revolt went through, right?"

"We just need to delay it for 15 years or so."

"Why?"

"Michiko-hime should be done by then."

Shisui scowled. "So we're still relying on her?"

"Perhaps you have a better plan?"

"…"

"Shisui, name one extremely conservative clan that isn't likely to boil over within the next twenty years."

"…"

"If it isn't the Uchiha, there will be someone else. Do you have a better solution?"

"Did she tell you this?"

"…"

Shisui sighed. It was true that the clan system was on a slow decline. Many were slowly diluting with the civilian populace. Some had all but completely dissolved like the Senju but the most successful clans were the strong moderates like the Nara who were still integral to the village but saw the need to modernise. Even the Hyuuga, who were by far the most powerful monetarily, were slowly declining. Especially with the recent loss in confidence in the leadership with the Hinata-Hanabi-Neji shtick. As it was, it did seem like the only solution was to lose slower.

"Fine. We just need to delay it for 15 years. Yeah, that sounds totally doable."

"Failure is not an option."

"I know, I know. I just- I know."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… I'll be recalled to Konoha soon for the Shimura investigation."

"I was due to return in a month but I've been reposted. I leave in a week."

Shisui was a little surprised at this. "Really? Where to?"

"I cannot say."

Shisui scowled. "She's been talking to Hokage-sama, hasn't she?"

"... Hn."

"Of course I think it's stupid!"

"…"

"When she betrays us all, I reserve the right to say I said so."

"She stands to gain far more from making allies than from betraying Konoha."

"Who knows what she's thinking?"

Itachi turned back to his porridge. "I had a mission in the slums."

Shisui decided to let it slide. "Oh, is that what's up with the porridge?"

"Two birds with a stone."

"I suppose it's good that you have a hobby now."

"It's not a hobby."

"It's a good thing!"

"It's not a hobby."

Shisui rolled his eyes. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

"How is your… mission going?"

Shisui grinned. "Great! I made a ton of friends! Suna girls really are quite different from Konoha girls. Way curvier with much bigger boobs. I swear, most of the Konoha girls have basically nothing."

"It's far more practical."

"Bah! We're Konoha! Who cares about practicality?"

"That's a stereotype you should not be encouraging."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna go to bed. You making breakfast that isn't just cabbage with rice?"

"I will try my hand at fish."

"Can you make me some?"

"Hn."

"Great! I'll leave you to it."

Shisui hummed pleasantly as he went to bed. He would send a few letters to some of the Uchiha girls he was courting in the morning. If he could heavily imply the possibility of a match, most middle-class families would probably support whatever he did. He wondered how many families he could juggle. Maybe three? Four? Five? Ah, politics. He would deal with it tomorrow.

* * *

It was midnight, four days into Ayano's hunger strike and Ayano wasn't home. Akio sat up in bed fidgeting restlessly. Ayano hadn't drunk any water, what if she had died of heat stroke? The hospital was pretty horrible. Would they even let him know if she was sent there?

Michiko turned to face him. "Akio, stop fidgeting. I'm trying to sleep."

"But- but…"

"Ayano is every bit as stubborn as you. She will probably starve herself to death unintentionally."

"You're not helping!"

"You could go look for her."

"But I- but-"

"Are you that stubborn?"

"..."

"Ayano is serious. Treating her like a innocent puppy isn't going to get you anywhere with her. Five minutes in her presence will tell you that."

"But it's just- she's changed so much!"

"Your information on her is outdated. It has been since long before we met. Ayano was only acting sweet to appease her father. Do you want her to do that to you?"

"I will never be like him!"

"Trying to scold her isn't going to make her change. She will act sweet to appease you but the moment she hits 16, she will do a one-eighty and break free. Completely. And then you'll act incredibly shocked at her 'sudden change'. She hasn't changed. Your perception of her has."

"She's just a kid. I don't want her life to be ruined over a few stupid decisions."

Michiko sighed. "Ayano will never give up her sense of self."

"Did you- she's like you that way."

"Ayano was like this before we met. She was always dependent only on herself. Even though we talk, we are different. I will conform for an appropriate reward. She will refuse to lift a finger over pure principle."

"That's the thing! She's willing to die over such a small thing! What if she offends someone and gets beat up when she could get away with an apology? Or what if she does something illegal on purpose and she gets jailed or executed?"

Michiko laughed. "Sweetie, I flaunt the law on a daily basis. Unsuccessful revolutionaries are just criminals. If you want your little sister to be 'normal'... well that's not happening. If you want her to fit into normal society, good luck with that. If you want her to get an education that could net her a job, that's a different story. In fact, the job part is easy. Surely you know just how powerful Maito Gai is."

"How being able to level three training grounds with a punch equate to being able to find a job?"

"He's loud, pushy and completely sincere where others are sarcastic. He forgives and forgets instantly and helps anyone who with staying power. Most jounin have horrible relationships with lower ranks but Gai is unquestionably popular amongst chuunin. He takes the training ground clean-up crew for expensive buffets after he trashes the grounds. They fight over who gets to clean-up after him. He's at the academy on his spare days and teaches students and chuunin teachers. He hoards no jutsu and anyone need only ask and Gai will put his full effort into teaching them. Take a look at his shopping route. You'll find many shop owners offer him discounts which he always refuses. Because of the uncountable favours he hands out unconditionally and his utter sincerity and pure intentions, almost nobody with any sort of humanity can deny his requests without feeling like the worst criminal at his utterly crushed face. If Ayano asks for an apprenticeship, Gai will be able to give her one from pretty much every discipline in Konoha."

"But will she take on an apprenticeship?"

"She doesn't like the system but she was fine with one on one teaching with a competent teacher. She likes to learn. Even if she doesn't go into the trade, you'll know that she has the necessary skills to do so. You can't force her to get a job. As a parent, you can only equip her with the skills to get one."

"But what about her friends?"

"If your main concern is their character, you should judge them for yourself. But I'll tell you now, your opinion won't matter. Your status with her has vastly decreased after the latest incident."

"I'm her brother!"

"Does your father's opinion matter to you?"

"That's different!"

"No it's not. You can disapprove all you want, it doesn't mean Ayano's going to care."

"..."

"Akio, just go and find your sister."

* * *

Hatake Kakashi received his summons just as he was arriving home from his missions. He waited for three hours before he decided that he should go to the Hokage. The tower would be closing soon.

Kakashi decided to risk entering from the window and he entered the Hokage's office with no resistance. Hiruzen looked at him somberly.

"Kakashi."

Kakashi closed the window behind him and Hiruzen put the room under a simple privacy lockdown. The ANBU weren't in the room. "Hokage-sama."

"There is an abnormally high amount of upper-class Shimura working at Shiori's."

"I understand. I'll go as a customer?"

"Yes. This coincides nicely with your mandatory leave."

Kakashi hadn't been to Shiori's in a while but he probably won't stick out. Not only would he be getting rid of his mandatory leave, this was a perfect opportunity to crush Danzou once and for all.

"I'll go right now."

"Good. Shisui will be returning within the next few days. He's been on an escapade in Suna so as not to stick out."

"I'll keep that in mind. Is there anything else?"

"One of the prostitutes, Uchiha Keiko, is suspected to being sexually abused by her father."

Kakashi winced. "Her father's a council member, right?"

"Yes. See what you can dig up on him."

"Understood."

"That will be all."

Hiruzen deactivated the lockdown and Kakashi leapt out of the window, landing neatly on the side of the roof. He went back to his apartment. He sharpened his weapons, dumped his clothes off at the launderers and took a long bath before dressing in a loose t-shirt, jacket and pants. After checking himself in the mirror to make sure he looked in place, he finally headed off to Shiori's about two hours after he received his mission.

A chorus of greetings greeted him as he walked through the door. An impeccably-dressed woman gracefully sped towards him in order to attend to him. Her kimono bore the Shimura crest and her body language was proper, welcoming but strictly professional. Even though she looked incredibly youthful and beautiful, Kakashi knew her to be closing in on 37.

"Welcome to Shiori's blessing, Hatake-sama! It is an honour to have you here! What would you like for tonight?"

Kakashi shrugged, putting on a casual, nonchalant expression to give the impression that he'd come here on a whim. "Some tea and a massage to start off. I'll take a look around to see if any of the girls catch my interest."

"We have a splendid array of beautiful girls here at Shiori's! I'm sure one of them will be to your liking. Would you like me to serve you tea and do the massage or would you like me to show you some of the other ladies here tonight?"

"I'd like to see some of the other girls."

The coordinator smiled warmly. She was probably used to being passed over as she seemed to be delegated to waiting tables and the side services. "Of course! Please, follow me."

The coordinator led him past the curtain separating the reception and the tea area, grabbing a few menus along the way. All the rooms had top grade wards and she seated him in a fairly large private room.

"Please take a seat, Hatake-sama. I will be back with the girls."

Kakashi took a seat on a cushion and inspected the menus. There were three: food, drinks and services. He should probably order a little bit of sake so it seemed like he was unwinding but didn't want to get drunk. He'd already eaten so he looked at the service menu. The girls were priced like sushi plates. There were five different prices next to most things and they were based on the colour of a gemstone on a girl's bracelet. In increasing price, they were white, green, blue, yellow and red. He should probably pick an upper priced girl that he really liked. Since it was his mandatory off, it wouldn't seem weird for him to come back a few more times.

The coordinator returned with five girls. Amongst them were two Shimura who held yellow and red bracelets. There was a red Nohara, a blue Sarutobi and a yellow Uchiha. Not a bad decision. The Nohara looked painfully like Rin and Kakashi happened to have been on missions with the Sarutobi lady before. That would just be awkward. The Uchiha was Uchiha Keiko and after so many blowouts with the Uchiha, Kakashi really didn't want to sleep with one. Both the Shimura ladies were incredibly beautiful. The yellow lady was perfectly made up with a sweet, gentle smile and she carried herself with great dignity and grace. The red had minimal makeup, a shortened kimono and gave him a flirtatious wink and a coy smile when he inspected her. The red lady also happened to be right up Kakashi's alley with dark, shiny black hair, startling blue eyes, bright red lips and a generous bosom.

The Shimura ladies probably had the preferences of every single target memorised and he was one of them. With this level of operations, it was extremely doubtful that Danzou hadn't gotten his hands on a kekkei genkai.

The girls bowed and greet him with varying levels of cheer, coy and reserve that suited their persona. The red Shimura lady boldly sat beside him and poured him tea, making sure that her bosom brushed his arm and her kimono hiked as she reached over. The other ladies sat much more appropriately around the table.

The coordinator bowed. "I hope you'll find these girls to your liking. I shall take my leave now, Hatake-sama."

"I'd like to be alone with these two ladies." Kakashi said, gesturing to the two Shimura women.

"Of course! But you'll have to pay both their companionship fees by the half hour. Is that acceptable?"

"That will be fine."

The other three girls stood up, bowed and took their leave with the coordinator and Kakashi chatted with them alone. It was pretty clear from the get go that the red lady, who went by the stage name Nasuka, was supposed to be a bold seductress while the other was a proper lady. Deciding Nasuka was the less suspicious option, Kakashi sent the other lady away after fifteen minutes.

"Being a ninja must be so tiring." Nasuka said as she curled herself up around his arm.

"Today's mission was easy but Hokage-sama has deemed that I need extended rest."

Nasuka smiled. "Well, there are bright sides to everything. You're here, aren't you?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I am, though I'm not sure why I'm here. I suppose this is the next best thing since Hokage-sama has me blacklisted from the training grounds on my leave."

She laughed. "Might as well make best use of your time and relax. I'll be perfectly happy to help you with that."

Kakashi had been acting rather distant and annoyed throughout but had made sure to loosen up a bit over the course of the small talk they made. "I suppose we've talked for long enough. You can do massages, right?"

"Of course! Would you like one of our deep massages or one of our… sensual massages?" Nasuka asked as she shifted the service menu closer to him.

"What exactly is your 'sensual massage'?"

"We'll move into one of the special rooms. I'll do a little strip and then we'll get onto business. After I've finished rubbing you all over, we'll go take a shower together. If you want to get to the main party at any point in the massage, it'll still be full price."

"How long will it be?"

"You can get 30 minutes, an hour or two hours. Contact is allowed if you get the hour or two hour package. The two hour one comes with a fun little bonus! You can put a toy on me from our selection. We've got collars, dildos, butt plugs, cat ears, all the fun stuff!"

"It's getting pretty late. I can't get the bonuses without paying for extended time?"

"I'm so sorry, Hatake-sama. But don't worry, if you get any of our massages, you can cut it short anytime for much more adult fun. After the sexy time's over, you can continue the massage if you want."

These sort of tactics were to be expected in such an exclusive place. Kakashi highly doubted that most men made it through the whole two hours of teasing but they bought it anyway for the extra perks. Money wasn't a problem for most of them, after all. The offer to continue the massage after having sex seems like a good way to get your money's worth but if someone lasted thirty minutes before giving in, they'd be paying for four rounds of sex by the end. If the restriction of added bonuses wasn't there and the 'continue rule' wasn't there, they'd probably make at least 4-5 times less in that scenario.

"I'll get the 30 minute."

Nasuka shot him a coy smile. "Perfect! Let's go."

The two of them headed off to a private room.

* * *

Ayano woke up in the apartment on Akio's bed. She looked around. Surprisingly, her brother wasn't flailing his arms about in worry or lashing out at everyone. The apartment was empty. A glance at the clock explained it. It was in the middle of the work day and it was probably illegal for Akio not to show up. Ayano giggled at the image of Michiko dragging a pouting Akio with bull horns and steaming nostrils out of the door.

By her bedside were two notes and some water. The first was from Michiko: a quick, detached rundown of her current physical condition and a recommendation to drink water and a little juice, but no food. The second was a long, rambling letter from Akio that switched between expressing concern, scolding her for her recklessness, giving her advice on what to eat and trying to get her to see his view.

It was probably a bad idea to move around so Ayano drank some water and stared out of the window. For the thousandth time, Ayano regretted not easing Akio into realising she was different from what he imagined. Her brother was always so mentally brittle and couldn't stand too many shocks. Poor baby.

Akio should be backing down now. Michiko was choosing to let them sort their own business but Ayano was pretty sure Michiko sympathised with her more than Akio. If Akio didn't back up, then she'd probably try starving again. At least she knew child services won't come in. Gai supported her and he didn't know what the word extreme meant. Gai could convince anyone of anything if he tried.

If starving didn't work then she might just run away. She was a kid so she probably won't get jailed or something. Leaving the country was a bit much but Ayano liked keeping her options open. Besides, it would be nice to travel by herself. She'd just punch anyone if they tried to mess with her. She could deal with all civilians easily and probably some genin. She wasn't anyone important so she probably won't have to fight off anyone more skilled than that. She wanted to build up her taijutsu some more and she didn't want to leave like that but she would do what she had to.

Ayano hoped Akio would come around and she sure as hell wasn't going to abandon her friends just because he was biased against prostitutes. Sure, she'd tried drugs once and the world seemed really wonky and great for a while but it wasn't really worth the money and Ayano hated the dependency and loss of control. It'd felt like shit afterwards. Some of her friends were going bankrupt on their habits. She'd gotten two of them to quit by locking them up in a room, decreasing the dosage slowly and force feeding them medicine but it had been hell. Still, it was a lot better than sending them to an institute. That would just be nasty.

Ayano went back to sleep soon after and awoke in the middle of the night. Michiko was sleeping in the bed next to her and her brother was on the floor. Still groggy, Ayano wasn't in the mood for a huge takedown, knockout argument. She sipped some water and went back to sleep.

She didn't sleep for long and woke up in the morning when Akio and Michiko were getting dressed in the bedroom. Deciding she didn't want to wait around any longer, Ayano spoke up.

"Nii."

Akio's head snapped towards her. "Ayano? You're awake? How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

There was a period of silence. Michiko walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Akio scratched the back of his head. "Ayano, this needs to stop."

"What needs to stop?"

"This… rebellion of yours. You know that this is for your own good right?"

"Yeah. That's what everyone tells themselves, ya know. Shockingly, people are still shit."

"But going to school is objectively better for you!"

"Life's short and I'm not gonna spend ten years wasting away in some fucking propaganda machine. Ya know what all the schools in Konoha are like, right?"

"Don't be dramatic. It's not that bad. Beside, if you think you're so smart, you should be able to see through all that."

"Well, clearly how I think and feel doesn't mean two shits to you."

"Of course not!"

"Yer just like everyone else. You think I'm dumb because I'm a sweet little girl that needs to be sheltered from the world."

"But that's true!"

"You live with Nara fucking Michiko. How do you still think like that?"

"Language!"

"That's not the fucking point. I will swear whether ya like it or not."

"I'm your brother!"

"And? Are you God and can tell everyone what is right and wrong? Fuck that shit. I am me and I'm not gonna let anyone tell me what's the 'right' way ta live. Not even you."

"You're only seven!"

"Listen to yourself for a second, will ya? Yer repeating the same shit over and over again and you're just saying I'm dumber and stupider than you without a single fucking point. Well, I think yer dumb too."

"How dare you!"

"And what are ya gonna do? Threaten to lock me up all day? Tell me that it's my duty to listen to whatever ya say because I'm lower on the family ladder than you? Tell me that I'm a dumb little girl who should smile prettily and keep her mouth shut because I don't know anything and will just embarrass myself? Oh wow, doesn't that sound like someone?"

"That's different! He wasn't a real parent!"

"Well you aren't my parent either."

"I'm your legal guardian!"

"So now you care what the government thinks? Real convenient shit."

"That's not the point! It's for your own good! When you grow up, you're going to need to pay for rent, food, electric bills and everything by yourself! You can't switch between low wage jobs every three months and expect everything to be fine!"

"I will be fine. I can hunt, I know how to camp, I-"

"You're planning on living out in the wild?!"

"I want to travel! I wanna see the world! What's wrong with camping?"

"But you need money for that! How are you going to buy tents and clothes? And what about when you grow old or fall ill? How are you going to afford medical bills and a house then?"

"That's what the little jobs for!"

"It won't be enough!"

"I'll be fine. I did the math. If I fail, ya can just say 'I said so', okay?"

"It's my job to make sure it never gets to that point!"

"And I'm telling you it won't get to that point!"

"You want to live in the wild!"

"I wanna travel and I'm fine with living outdoors. You slept in a training ground for months!"

"Sleeping in a training ground within the Nara compound, within Konoha, surrounded by a thousand and one barriers is different from sleeping out in the middle of the desert with scorpions running around!"

"Yeah, all the deadly wildlife. Much deadlier than staying Konoha while your princess is taking down the government."

"Well, if you leave, you won't have any protection. You'll be a target!"

"I'll be more of a target if I stay hopping around Konoha!"

"No! They'll get you the moment you're out of the country!"

Ayano rolled her eyes. "I'm not that big of a target. They'd probably go after you rather than me. You're not S-class."

"There's a chance!"

"You're being super paranoid. Ya know who ya sound like?"

"It's different! I'm looking out for you!"

"Yah. Ya know who you sound like?"

"Wait, who are you talking about?"

"That's what Shisui says every time he stalks someone."

"I'm not a creepy stalker! It is different!"

"Keep tellin' yourself that."

"You know what? I've had enough of this. You'll go to school and you'll get a job. I don't care if you hate me."

"... Fine. But I'm disowning you."

"You will not!"

"Yes. I also wouldn't have starved myself."

"Why?"

Took him long enough. "I do the cleaning, the cooking, the money, everything and now you're telling me I need a nanny."

"How else am I supposed to make sure you go to school?"

"And the nanny's gonna do the job? You'll need to hire a chuunin squad if you wanna keep me in one place."

"You might pull another stunt!"

"Then you just havta make sure you have a squad in place whenever ya wanna mess up my life real bad."

"Why can't you just go to school?"

"Lots of kids don't go to school and they're fine."

"No they're not! They get jobs as waitresses and janitors and they're dirt poor!"

"You ever talk to them? Ya can't just judge em' like that and say they're miserable. What the fuck is so wrong about being a waitress? I don't need much money."

"Why do you insist on-"

There was a knock on the bedroom door. "Akio, we're going to be late."

"I don't care!"

Michiko opened the door and peeked inside, looking mildly miffed. "We are not going to be late for work."

"My sister is more important!"

Michiko sighed. "Just get her a private tutor."

"But-"

"Look, I'll pay for her tuition till we get back to Konoha but we are not missing any more work time."

"How about-"

"I've already sent letters to Konoha. Ayano will be in Suna while the list is done up. Nothing bad is going to happen. Let's get going."

Akio opened and shut his mouth. Ayano grinned. "Great!"

Akio's eyes snapped towards her. "You are not leaving this apartment."

Ayano rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna rest for now but ya can't keep me here."

"Yes I can!"

Michiko sighed. "Akio, leave her be. She'll be in crowded places and broad daylight."

"It's not safe!"

Michiko shrugged. "By your metric, nowhere is. We're in a hidden village. It's as safe as it gets. I'm sure the Kazekage will go for execution if another assault happens. He can't afford to lose Konoha's support. Besides, she's going to stay in for the day. It can wait till tonight."

Akio glanced between Michiko's annoyed face and Ayano's gleeful grin many times before he relented. "You better stay in." Akio told Ayano sternly.

"Ya, ya. I'm dizzy anyways. No fun going out like that. Now, shoo."

Akio didn't reprimand her and just huffed, violently opening the door and stomping outside. Ayano drank some water and juice before rolling over in bed. Michiko might start meddling soon. She was tryin' to let them sort it out for themselves but she had really itchy fingers. She probably won't resist meddlin' just a little. If stuff started to go bad, she might just get Michiko's help.

Reassured of her future freedom, Ayano went back to sleep.

* * *

Kakashi arrived in the morning and sat at the Unity Restaurant. The restaurant's name was quite horrible in Kakashi's opinion, but no one had ever accused the Shodaime of having creative naming sense. Having been founded by the Shodaime, built by the Uzumaki and maintained by the Aburame clan, the restaurant was quite prestigious and expensive, but that was not its main role.

Konoha's array of clans had vastly different customs and traditions. After a few major brawls over cultural misunderstandings, the Shodaime created a whole new section of the law just to deal with it. One, clans must write all their clan customs in their section of Konoha's official clan records. Two, when in a clan compound, one must follow the customs of said clan. Three, if the clan did not write down a custom in the official clan records, no one is legally obligated to follow it. Four, all persons within Konoha must follow the customs dictated in the 'Konoha's proper etiquette booklet' in all public areas.

After hammering out what 'Konoha proper etiquette' meant with all the clans, this worked in solving major misunderstandings as all customs were plainly laid out but it did create another problem: there were no places important clan members could go to to discuss important matters privately. To discuss in another's clan compound was seen as a sign of submission and it was incredibly hard to get anything done when half the time was spent arguing on where to argue. So the Hokage created the 'Unity Building' and opened it on the eve of the Unity festival. It was a place where not just clan officials could go, but many regular ninja hung out there with their friends. Eventually, the refreshments became full course meals and people just started calling it the 'Unity Restaurant'.

The political nature of the restaurant meant neutrality and security were top notch. The Aburame had complete control over the restaurant and they were fiercely neutral in everything. That alone made their clan incredibly valuable in all levels of decision making and judging, so much so that anyone who swore complete allegiance to an unvetted cause was pushed to the outer circles.

Nara Shukaku arrived an hour later and was half surprised to see him waiting.

"Kakashi. You're early."

"I merely arrived an hour after the agreed timing."

"As I said, early. So what did you find?"

"On the surface, the amount of Shimura girls in the brothel isn't abnormally high. Even when you divide by class, it's easily passed off as part of Danzou's harsh punishments. But I will wager that many of the administrative staff can probably be tied back to him. All important guests are ushered into private rooms where administrative staff show them a select few girls. They have great control over which girls their target picks. The lady I was with tried very hard to get me to come back. Not unusual for a prostitute, but certainly unusual when she's not getting any money. It's incredibly hard to find a place like Shiori's so I suspect many go back and pick the same girl."

"Plenty of opportunities to get prime genetic material."

"Exactly."

Shukaku sighed. "Troublesome. How careful are they?"

"Extremely cautious, given that they haven't been caught. But the girls have been working for a long time. The girl I was with was top tier and her persona matches many descriptions of her personality before she entered the brothel. She might get complacent and slip up."

"Do you need a background check on the girl?"

"Yes. Her name is Shimura Megumi, stage name Nasuka."

"How much do you already know about her?"

"I only have basic information. No more than the standard Shimura. Her age, occupation, rank, family connections, inner friend circle, political alignments and the like."

"How soon do you need it?"

"2 or 3 days."

"I'll be able to give you enough by then. Full reports will take a week or two under these circumstances."

"I understand."

Shikaku sighed. "So, have you met Kouru Ayano yet?"

Kakashi quelled his instinctive wince. The poor girl had Gai's influence written all over. "Yes. She's… something."

"You know of Nara Michiko?"

"The up and coming genius who sent off rainbow fireworks through the forest, wrecked the Akimichi fields, made a circus show out of the chuunin exams, is somehow not in jail and is raising through the ranks? Yeah, I might have heard of her."

Shikaku snorted. "Ayano is quickly resembling Gai in terms of power and connections but she does not have his pure intentions or undying loyalty. In fact, she's more likely to side with Michiko."

"Isn't this Michiko part of your clan and working in Konoha's interests?"

"She's a wild card. Gai won't doubt his apprentice and in all honesty, Ayano doesn't seem inclined to go on sudden rampages or takedown every large political establishment in the world. Quite the opposite."

Wow. This Nara Michiko situation was apparently a lot more serious than he thought if Shikaku was so worked up over it. "I'll pay more attention when Gai brings her over."

Shikaku nodded. "That would be for the best. She's extremely stubborn in her neutrality."

"I won't push her."

"Good. Is there anything else you need?"

"No."

Shikaku got up. "Then I'll take my leave. I hope this thorn will finally be cut off."

"Me too. Me too."

* * *

Ayano was staring out of the window, feeling extremely bored. She'd slept all day and couldn't sleep anymore. She'd drunk all she could and even cooked dinner for the two of them. There was just nothing to do. All the books were crazy hard, she didn't know how to play shogi and the apartment had nothing. All of Michiko's stuff were weapons and books and scrolls and work stuff and Akio's stuff was just jutsu books and more weapons and shitty porn. Ayano had flipped through it and yep. It was still about big-boobed, black-haired seductresses who climbed into his bed, offering love and sex. Neither of them gave a shit about the house so the walls were empty and all the furniture was mismatched because the ANBU had just pulled out the first couch, table and stove they found in the storeroom. The place was just plain and ugly.

Ayano whined out loud as she got off the window and rolled about the living room floor, hugging her pillow, glancing at the clock every time she rolled near it. Finally, after 15 minutes of this, the front door unlocked and Akio and Michiko walked in.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Language!" Ayano retorted. "I'm boooooooooooored! There's nothing here! The only thing I can read is your shitty porn!"

"Why-but-you-what were you doing in my drawer?"

It was kinda hard, but Ayano managed to look at Akio while she rolled about the floor. "I was bored! I wanted to model in all of your clothes but the both of you own like twenty of the same outfit!"

"So your solution was to roll around the floor?"

"Yeah! If I run I'd get dizzy and fall so I roll! I can't possibly fall!"

"You could knock into something!"

"That's what the pillow's for!"

"Just stay in bed."

"I have been! But I can't sleep! What d'ju want me to do? Stare at the ceiling for hours?"

"That's what you get for starving yourself."

"Bleh. Can we quit arguing about everything and just do our own stuff? I mind my stuff, you mind yours. You know, the Konoha thing. Whatzit called? Oh yeah, peaceful co-existence or something."

"No! I'm not resting until your 'friends'-"

"Because your princess is a completely normal, sweet, pure, innocent and upstanding person who wants nothing but the greater good."

"That's different!"

"Hey, if you get to talk shit about my friends, I get to talk shit about yours."

"I'm an adult! I can make my own decisions."

"You're only 15, ya know. And I'm sure most people'd think joining a megalomaniac's nodda good decision. Making friends with prostitutes is a much better life choice."

Finally, Michiko cut in. "The fundamental problem here is that Ayano views herself as a fully capable person who should have full control over her life. Treating her like a kid is not going to get through with her. Akio, do you have a sensical and valid argument as to why Ayano is not capable of making her own decisions, societal norms and expectations aside?"

Akio gestured wildly at Ayano. "She's clearly a kid!"

"Because Itachi would be completely incapable of taking care of himself when he was her age."

"She can't support herself!"

"Are homeless and unemployed people kids?"

"She-she's my little sister! It's my job!"

"Because Aina would've been doing her job if she forbade from being a ninja and kept me away from the world."

"She was rolling about the floor!"

"Am I immature for not wanting to take a bath?"

"That's different!"

"Can you formulate that feeling into a rational argument?"

"It's-it's not that simple!"

Michiko sighed and turned to Ayano. "Would you like me to give him a talk?"

Ayano beamed. "Free of charge?"

"Repayment."

Ah. For the brothel thing. "Hmm… okay!"

* * *

Akio crossed his arms. "You're on her side, aren't you?"

"Akio, do you think age makes someone mature?"

"I mean, there are immature adults and mature kids, but most kids are immature."

"Then what makes someone mature?"

Akio opened and shut his mouth multiple times before keeping quiet. He'd already threw out all he had but Michiko had countered every one of his arguments. He could not win against Michiko.

"I- it's not about a set of requirements or whatever. It's just- it's just a feeling, you know?"

"I do."

"It's- wait, what? Really?"

"Of course I do. My children are my greatest pride."

"But- I mean, no offence, but you're not really a mother. I mean, like- raising them like physically. Like, you know, diapers and stuff."

Michiko laughed. "Oh that part? That part's the easy part. The childbirth, late nights, breastfeeding, diapers, pregnancy, that's nothing. Raising a child is so much more than that. Am I teaching them right? Am I setting a good example? Should I let them decide for themselves? What is good for them? The worry never ends, Akio. The worry never ends. Even when Ayano's 14, 16, 18 or whatever arbitrary age people have tagged on maturity, you will still feel the same way. It will not change. This unease you have will never go away."

"I- she's seven! It's too early!"

"It's always going to be too early."

"But-but seven! Seven!"

"Do you know how they arrived at 16? They sat down, looked at each other and randomly decided that 16 was just about right. Different children mature at different rates. Ayano is exceptionally worldly for a seven-year-old. You have to let go because she is already gone."

"..."

"How about this: we will get her private tuition. She will be educated in reading, maths, geography and history. Aina will find the tutor and when we get back, I'll personally vet the tutor. She will keep her friends. I know, I know but you're in no position to argue since your only friend is me. If you want to get on an arguing plane, get out and find more friends, preferably falling for another girl. Yes, yes, I know. Not going to happen but you have to practice what you preach or no one is going to listen. Ayano is interested in working in many fields. We can get her educated in multiple fields. It doesn't have to be cleaning or waiting. It can be woodworking, manufacturing, sales, anything. She can offer her services in exchange for education and get job experience. Ayano will also continue to be under the eye of Maito Gai and Aina, who, may I remind you, was a prostitute. She will be fine."

"But… what if she gets attacked again?"

"She handled it pretty well. As I said, she'll continue her training and she'll be under my barriers. There is never a guarantee of complete protection in this world. You can secret her away into an airtight bunker and never let her out of the barriers, but I think Ayano would rather kill herself than live like that. Ayano will be strong enough to defend herself and she's smart enough not go on any wild adventures until she's ready. Ready by her metric, not yours that is. By your metric, she'll never be ready."

"..."

"Akio."

"... Fine."

Michiko smiled. Not the insane smile, but the really pretty one that he'd fallen in love with. Akio wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not.

"Good. I already have many plans in place."

"... You've already gotten a tutor, right?"

"Five tutors. But I need Gai to return before I can arrange for apprenticeships."

"..."

Michiko patted his cheek. "Don't fret about it, sweetie. Everything will be fine."

* * *

Itachi left Suna soon after. On paper, he was posted to border control. The Uchiha weren't too happy about him being kept away. But they couldn't kick up a fuss every single time their heir was ordered to do a job they didn't agree with without looking like

* * *

 **Author's note:**

As you may have sensed, I've lost interest in this project. I moved and the stress combined with life's increasing difficulty just sucks the life out of me. This is my hobby. I will write what I want to write regardless of what anyone thinks which is why I don't shy away from tough or graphic subjects and follow no comprehensive story structure. I simply don't care for such. So I've decided to post what I've written thus far and leave it at that.

On the bright side, I've written a new story: Psychosis, which is virtually complete and the first chapter is already posted. It contains the subjects of philosophical absurdity, reality versus fiction, religious faith, God, dictatorships, identity, power, what colour the sky truly is and whether the world is real. I love my mentally abnormal leads so here is one. Most of my characters are representations of philosophies, roles and culture most of the time. This lead is called Sakura, not to be confused with Haruno Sakura and is another unique take on well-established tropes. It's a short story. A beta reader would be appreciated.


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